Ashes of the Apple Tree
by blu3slush
Summary: The King of Death has died and chaos will overrule the shinigami if one doesn't step up. When he is finally chosen, he returns to the human world once again to cure his boredom. When the Death Note is picked up, who knows what'll happen?
1. Chapter One

**AN: Yay! I've finally gotten off my lazy butt to write a Death Note fanfiction which has been eating away at my brain for many days … I have a VERY bad writer's block for my mini-fanfictions for Naruto and the other one's queued up. (My beta-reader's had NCEAs and hasn't had any time to do editing. She'll start up again soon… I hope.) So as a way to apologize/diverge myself away from the cruel bitch called writer's block, my dear friend Onepiece CookieMonster and other real life friends of mine inspired me to write this. I love you my biffles *heart***

**Now, before I bore your brains out with the terribly long Author's Note, I will start on my theory. I have a theory. Since it isn't exactly specified whom wrote the shinigami rules or enforces them, since this is a fanfiction… I used my theory that it should be DA SHINIGAMI KING. Sorry for those caps but I'm a dramatization addict. (I rest my case.) So, anyone who writes the rules can certainly bend his own rules, but I'm not going to give this whole story away now. That's the reason why you have to read this things ;3**

**And and and, if anyone likes Naruto or Death Note (like me! I am a massive Anime/Manga fan) pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease check out my other stories (Reviews make me all fuzzy inside =3) though you don't have to if you don't want to. That's up to you ;3**

**But before I bore you guys to death, I'm going to start writing this. Enjoy. And please don't be too harsh, this is my first Death Note fanfiction. And just so you know, you can flame if you like but personally, I think flames are hysterically funny. I do like constructive criticism because it helps me write better just as long as it is balanced. Be honest but don't overdo the negatives because too many negatives can turn it into a flame… Not saying that's a bad thing because that can be pure mistake. Okay, I'm going to shut the hell up now and write. MAN, this is the longest AN I've ever written…**

**EDIT (18/12/12): I have extended this by several paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.**

**Chapter One**

"The Shinigami King is missing." The shinigami quips, his shoulders trembling in absolute terror. The shinigami world and its inhabitants would be cast into chaos without the king to enforce and write the rules of their world. In other words, it will turn from bad into total catastrophe if this leaks across the land, like some deadly oil spill. It could be even worse if the Shinigami King was not merely missing... But dead.

Then the shinigami comes to a shocking discovery. Where the King once hung suspended by chains it now a mountainous mass of dust. No trace of the King to be seen. Someone must take his place. Hushed whispers scatter across the tight-knit circles that have begun to form. Had their King been murdered? If he is dead, who is next? And most importantly, if he was indeed murdered... who did it?

An hour has passed and every single shinigami is speaking of the King's death.

But there is no shinigami to speak of that will step up to take his place. They either don't have the guts or are too lazy to take such a task. Not even the king's right-hand man is willing to take his place and what's even stranger is that he's not saying why. "Maybe he did it." One of the shinigami muttered, as another nodded their head in agreement.

No one can stomach the thought of having such terrifying power.

This is why someone must be forced to take his place. Every shinigami has been written down their name, regardless of rank and one will be chosen soon enough by a draw. Why such a suggestion had been brought up was ridiculous - simply choosing the new King by chance. Some higher ranked shinigami were in an uproar, appalled by the thought that they could be possibly ruled by a lower-rank shinigami.

Shinigami milled around the barren landscape - there hadn't been such a gathering in many years. There was quite a bit of gossip wafting around - some being rumors, others lies and the remainder small grains of truth. "Beyondermason? King?", a shinigami murmured in disbelief.

Another whispered something incomprehensible, his bright yellow eyes darting about warily."They'd put Old Man's murderer on the throne?" He said a little louder this time. His chuckle was manic and dark.

"Well, at least it isn't so boring anymore." A young shinigami piped up, but many others ignored her. The shinigami quietly awaited the final choice - gambling, laughing and chatting. That's how life is in the shinigami world these days. But today offers something quite different.

"The one that has been chosen... Is the rogue shinigami Ryuk." There is endless murmuring and chattering among the shinigami, they almost sound like gossiping old human women. A familiar pale face trudged through the eternally colorless world through the shinigami. Dark lips were tugged up into a wide grin, but irritation bubbled beneath that grin painted on his face. A permanent, grotesque smile - a permanent clown face. His large golden eyes scanned quickly side to side, watching the sudden group of shinigami that have gathered around him. His foot crushed another pile of stale bones as he took another step forward. And he was the new King.

"Meh. I would've thought Nu would've been the next King of Death." A shinigami muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on Ryuk. Ryuk - that infamous shinigami, who went down to the human world to cure his boredom. While that era was fairly interesting, and a subject of constant gossip - many shinigami thought Ryuk was strange. Even for a shinigami.

"Oh well. It's been chosen. Can't argue about it now. I'm far too lazy to anyway." Another shinigami replied. He shrugged and the jewels around his neck clinked and jingled. He lifted his arm languidly and rolled a pair of dice.

Nobody knows how the King died, so suddenly and mysteriously too - but this was over so quickly. So much for entertainment.

* * *

><p>Ringo settled back in her chair in the classroom. Her feet twitched erratically. She's waiting impatiently for the beginning of the last class of the day. She's a third year at Taikoku Gakuen High School and right now was History class. It was a treat, something to reward herself for surviving through the week of school and being able to cope with going through the day without collapsing from fatigue. History was one of her favorite classes.<p>

History was a subject that was she was naturally well off at. Her parents pressure her to get good grades and study until midnight, which is why sometimes she's caught falling asleep in class. Her parents don't really account for the fact that she requires sleep. Sometimes, Ringo wonders if her parents believe their daughter is some kind of robot. However, on another note, Ringo is a natural born night owl, so it doesn't bother her too much.

So far, though, the last lesson had been awfully boring. Reading out of textbooks and answering simple questions that were already answered. Secretly, Ringo had been wishing to hear of anything of interest, something other than textbook work - but so far it seemed that nothing even remotely interesting was going to be taught as of yet. Great.

However, today might hold some more interest and something can finally drive all that boredom out of her mind. During the last class period, she had been immensely ecstatic, barely able to hold still, for Sensei had hinted the possibility of moving on to mythology. Her mouth twisted into a small smile. Perhaps they would do mythology! Mythology was one of her favorite aspects of history. Her father's personal libraries have countless editions of the mythology of this world. To learn about the opinions of their ancestors, and how they believed the world worked would be a truly interesting lesson.

With hardly any effort, Ringo stilled her twitching feet, and glanced down at her notebook, ready to take down notes at any given time. Around her, students grew deathly silent as the Vice Principal walked in and cleared her throat and spoke, "Attention students, your professor has been admitted to hospital. There are no substitutes available to take your class so you will have to taken to another classroom." The students around Ringo murmured to eachother, everyone here is perplexed. "Please remain seated until I give you the instructions of where to go." The professor... Hospitalized? For what reason?

She then goes into a daze, boredom has invaded her thoughts and she doesn't even have the strength to pull herself back into focus. The Vice Principal returns after a painfully long ten minutes. "Because no class is able to take you, you are given permission to return home. Contact your parents and organize to be picked up." The whole class groaned loudly in unison.

"Miss, can't we just go?" A boy from the back of the class protests. Several others murmur in agreement. The Vice Principal's gaze turns sharp behind her large glasses. Her face looks taut and stern - her hair is tied up in a tight bun, and she dressed in a grey suit. Her stilettos look sharp enough to bore holes right through the floor.

"You are _not _permitted to leave school without informing your parents and myself. You _must _be taken from school by your parents." She replied harshly, her voice had gone up a few octaves. The boy silenced himself, but still rose his hands up in protest. His hands dropped sharply to his sides when her death glare fixed itself in his direction. "Your professor has a very serious condition and your parents will be contacted and you will be given a substitute as soon as possible. Please take this seriously." She finished somberly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

Several students take their phones from their skirt or pant pockets. A series of rapid clicks echo through the room - acrylic fingernails against phone keys. Many of the girls in Ringo's class wear fake fingernails. Even more of them wear makeup. Ringo could hardly care, the most she wears is a smidgen of mascara and eyeliner. Most of the other girls go beyond that.

Ringo hesitantly takes her phone from her bag. She dials her father's number: her mother doesn't pick her phone up too often so her father is her go-to person. Her father picks up the phone. "This is Robin Logan speaking." Her father's familiar voice greets her. Ringo pauses for a few moments. He always answers like that when he's in the middle of something... Oops.

Ringo gulps before speaking. "Hi Dad, I'm really sorry in advance if I interrupted anything but I'm going home early and I need your permission to go." Ringo asks quietly, in English. Several people glance in her direction, and then turn away.

Her father sighs irritably before he answers, "Ringo, I have to go to a meeting in two minutes. You'll have to walk home. I don't have the time to call a chauffeur or a taxi for you." Ringo pauses. Great. Her house is a good thirty five minute walk from here. Oh well, she'll have to live with that.

"Okay, Dad. That's fine." She says finally, closing her textbook and slipping it back into her satchel. "Can you talk to the Vice Principal?" She asks gently, switching her phone to her other ear.

"No, I won't bother. I'll call the school directly to let them know. I'll put you on hold." Her father answers coolly. There's a click on the other line and Ringo holds the line. She meticulously starts to tidying her things away. After five minutes, her father returns to the phone, "Ringo, are you there?" Her father asks, there's some inaudible dialogue in the background.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm here." Ringo answers, zipping up her pencil case. "What did they say?" Ringo asked, cupping the phone closer to her ear.

"They've said you can go. Just be careful for God's sake... I don't want to get a call from the police... PLEASE be careful." Ringo's father chides, and Ringo suppresses a sigh of irritation. Ringo's father is a tad bit overprotective - if that's the way to put it. Sometimes, that gets on Ringo's nerves.

"I'm seventeen, Dad. I'm not a little girl anymore." Ringo points out, but her father has already hung up. "Goodbye, then." She mutters, ending the call. Ringo glances around the classroom - soon, she will be released.

* * *

><p>It's been a good fifteen minutes now. Around Ringo, people are milling around and chatting to pass the time. If only Ayame was in the same class as her. The school knew those two were notorious and fought to keep them apart as much as possible. Ringo awkwardly sat there in silence. There's nothing worse than sitting alone in a class - where you hardly know anyone, and everyone else is talking to at least one person. Ringo was always socially awkward anyway.<p>

The boy that was sitting beside her returned to his seat. He gently nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. "Hey, Ringo." He slid closer to her, his tenor was calm and casual. Toshi Tanaka. He had been in all of her classes since middle school. Ringo paused, trying to think of an escape plan. Toshi kind of creeped her out, he always sat beside or behind her in class (if Ayame had already claimed the seat beside her). Ringo didn't know what to think of him - he was tall, very tall for someone of Asian heritage. He easily stood taller than the other boys. His skin was always pale, he never sees too much sun by the looks.

His figure was toned and fairly buff under his school shirt. It was no surprise, he was the top in PE in their class. His hair was a deep brown with an auburn sheen. His hair was always feathery and messy, and falls over his eyes. His eyes were a intense, deep blue that appraised her gently. His face was fairly angular: high cheekbones, a fairly prominent chin, softly curved jawline. Most of the girls fell head over heels for him, but he always brushed them away. He preferred Ringo for some reason. When other boys chatted her up, he would unceremoniously chase them away. Both figuratively and literally at that.

"... Hey..." Ringo replied hesitantly, her hand half raised in a strange greeting. All of Ringo's daily enthusiasm had been shattered into pieces once she heard her History professor had suffered an aneurysm over his cup of coffee. Well, he looked to be getting to the elderly stage - he probably had issues with his heart. Ringo would send him a card at some point to wish him well. Apparently after that episode, he said he was retiring. Good call.

"Erm... Logan-san?" Toshi started a sentence, now he's being socially awkward. That's strange, he's usually bold and fearless. His fingers started twiddling, and he looked down to his lap. The ghost of an anxiety blush on his cheeks. "Are you free this Satur- tomorrow?" Toshi stuttered, quickly correcting his sentence. It didn't help that a group of boys were watching him, and making fun of his every mistake.

"Yeah, in the late afternoon... Why do you ask?" Ringo peered at him suspiciously. She had a bad feeling about this. Some of the boys in the corner snickered. Ringo's gaze fixed on them. She sent daggers in their direction. They instantly stopped laughing, and looked away. Good riddance.

"Ah, screw being sensitive! Will you go out with me?" There's that boldness Ringo always associated with him. He received a look of disapproval from the Vice Principal for disturbing the peace. He rolled his eyes, and returns his attentions to Ringo. He doesn't know fear when he stares it in the face, he doesn't even know the meaning of the word. He doesn't plan on stopping himself for some woman.

Ringo was stunned. She struggled to find words, with Toshi's eyes eagerly trained on her. "Uhmmmmm... Sure. We can meet up after I hang out with my friends." Toshi nodded with agreement. He then got up abruptly, and turned to the door. It appears they're allowed to go.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." Toshi called back, waving goodbye. He slid past the door without another word. Toshi walked down the hallway. He turns to see his history class scattering to the winds. He opened his closed palm. Ringo's house key - he overheard her telling Ayame it was the purple one. Ayame got her own copy. He managed to swipe it off Ayame earlier today. Toshi whistled a tune as he walked down the hall. Time to visit the locksmith. A smug smirk appears on his face, he slips the key into his pocket and keeps walking.

* * *

><p>Ringo walks down the steps in silence, the school is eerily silent and it appears that she's probably the only student from her history class left. Everyone else would be working away at whatever they do. Then she sees a small, black rectangular object a few feet away. Curiosity overwhelming her, she wanders over helplessly, peering at the object at her feet. It's a book, and has letters scrawled across the top. "Death Note...?" She picks it up, smirking in amusement. What is this, the diary of some poor serial killer bastard? She flicks over the cover and reads the writing over, both shocked and sickeningly fascinated by what she sees.<p>

_HOW TO USE IT I:_

_1. The human whose name is written in this note shall die.  
><em>_2. This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.  
>3.<em>_If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen.  
>4. <em>_If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack.  
>5. <em>_After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds._

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Ringo says horrified at the thought that someone, probably mentally dispossessed could actually write this kind of disturbing stuff? Ringo sits down, reading this over and over in her mind, almost forgetting about home. Who in this world owns this?

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I'm tired... Goodnight, I'm going to go to bed now, review and subscribe pleases =3<strong>  
><strong>-offers chocolate chip cookies to reviewers and uses puppy eyes-<strong>

**Slush ~**


	2. Chapter Two

**AN: ****Hello! ****I'm back, over one night, I didn't think my fanfiction would really get noticed but it did and that makes me very happy :)****  
><strong>**But but but... Before I forget, and before I remember to keep this damn A/N short, -cute puppy eyes- Please sir, can I have some more (reviews)?**

**And I'm going to keep it in third-person because I can.  
><strong>

****EDIT (18/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.  
><strong>****  
><span>Chapter Two<span>  
><strong>

_HOW TO USE IT II:_

_1. The notebook shall become the property of the human world, once it touches the ground of (arrives in) the human world.  
><em>_2. The owner of the note can recognize the image and voice of the original owner, i.e. a shinigami.  
>3. The human who uses the notebook can neither go to Heaven nor Hell.<em>

"Oh, right, like shinigami exist." Ringo says to herself sarcastically, closing the book. Maybe the person who wrote this _was_ mentally dispossessed. Ringo wasn't entirely sure of what to expect from this "Death Note" but nothing particularly significant will come out of this, that's for sure. But really. How long has this been here and who dropped it? Those questions consistently plague her mind, refusing to dismiss themselves. They're kind of like poltergeists... really annoying poltergeists.

She slips the book unnoticed into her satchel, or was she noticed? "You seem to be quite fascinated with that." A voice announces, from directly above her. Ringo fights the urge to squeal in fright or jump. Ringo looks up, who the hell just sneaked up on her? And - HOLY SHIT, WHAT THE HELL? Something not of this world is right up there, in her line of vision.

It looks kind of like an evil clown, something out of a serial killer's nightmare. Ringo has two options here:

a. RUN RINGO RUUUUUN FOR YOUR LIFEEEEEE  
>b. Ringo, why the hell aren't you running?<p>

Ringo not sure of what to do gets up calmly, not being able to control her trembling body and then she runs. Ringo sprints as if there is an inferno hot on her heels and what makes it even harder is running through this great mass of people. It was such a pain, like running through a gigantic slab of butter, if that was even possible.

She is grabbed from behind her collar and someone drags her into a nearby alleyway. She tries to scream and kick her way out but someone covers her mouth. "Hey lady, if you give me all your money, I let you go." The man has two maybe three accomplices; she can't really see well, the alley's so dark. Maybe it would be wise to take self-defense lessons after this.

Shadows shift and move with the fading light. She had been so engorged with this book that it had killed her. Great. She can envision the epitaph on her gravestone. How she 'tragically' lost her life over some ridiculous notebook."This kid hasn't got any money. We might as well have our way with her and go." One of the man's accomplices replies. Ringo spasms and squirms under the man's grip but her hand snakes around her face tighter than before.

"My, my, we've got a fighter on our hands." The ringleader says, licking his lips. Ringo closes her eyes forcefully, praying her goddamn heart out for somebody to notice and help her. Someone grips onto the collar of her blouse and she is lifted up into the air. She opens her eyes and she's floating in mid-air.

She can't turn around to see who's holding her. The hold on her collar is preventing her from moving freely. "OH MY GOD! She's a freak! She's possessed!" They cry fearfully. They flee, squealing like stuck pigs. She's lifted up even higher and dropped onto the roof of a building.

Without turning around, she has two theories.

a. that evil clown thing.  
>b. some dude that grabbed her before she got into real trouble.<p>

She turns around and yes, it is that evil clown person thing. "Who the fuck are you?" Ringo points to him, asking in a petrified voice. Yes, Ringo is shaken up and doesn't even have to capacity to be polite now. If she begins to babble, she wouldn't be surprised. A completely average day had turned into some kind of sick joke and Ringo isn't laughing.

"I am a shinigami." Ryuk states in a bored voice, he's done this all before. Shinigami? Haha, no, really? A god of death? "Ryuk the shinigami." He introduces himself nonchalantly. Is this some sort of prank? Ringo looks at him sceptically, she knows it's a joke, it has to be, there's no way it can be real. "And I'm here because of that book." He continues, pointing to the Death Note now in Ringo's hands. The book...? How did it get out of her satchel? She knew it! It DID belong to some poor bastard!

"Why are you here? Are you going to kill me? Seriously, what did I do? Oh my god, other than what I did last Monday with the late assignment lie, I swear I've been good." Ringo babbles, losing all control of her composure.

Ryuk arches a skeptical eyebrow. My, my, humans have become more comical since he was last here. "No. I'm not going to kill you." Ryuk replies blankly, glancing at the girl. She doesn't appear to have heard him at all. She must be very scatter-brained.

"You're some kind of evil clown thing, come to take me to Hell and kill me? Yeah right!" Ringo says, panicked laughter erupting from her mouth. She's not reassuring anyone. Ringo is trying so damn hard to push the fear out of her mind but it's not working...

Ryuk just laughs at her. "Oh, it's been so long! I forgot how paranoid humans are." He says, stifling his laughter. He then bursts into manic laughter once again, hardly able to control himself.

Ringo narrows her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. "What's so funny?" Ringo demands, a frown forming on her face He continues laughing and Ringo gets pissed off relatively quickly.

"You!" Ryuk replies, bursting into a fit of hysterical laughter once more. She's more classic than Light's first reaction. Maybe this one will outlive him.

Ringo purses her lips, and her glare becomes cold enough to freeze the sun solid. "SHUT THE HELL UP! NOBODY LAUGHS AT ME! I'll... I'll friggin'... I'll... GRAAAAAH!" She falters with her words, exploding in sudden rage. She punches Ryuk hard in the chest but he keeps laughing. Clowns. they simply don't know when to shut up and stop laughing.

"You're a riot!" He chuckles, Ringo just blanches in anger. This clown, she's going to stitch that grin shut. "I'm not here to take you to Hell, nor am I from Hell. I'm from a completely different place. You humans and your crazed fantasies." Ryuk says, now he's mocking her. Ringo felt relief, though she knows this ain't over. Not by a long shot.

* * *

><p>Toshi walks along the street, averting his gaze away from the neon signs and bright city lights of Tokyo. Toshi has just come back from the locksmith, and he plans to put the key in Lost &amp; Found when he returns to school. However, there's one more thing he needs to do. Laughter comes from up ahead. Toshi narrows his eyes. "Are you serious, she just starting flying? That's bullshit." A school boy larks, staring at one of the others.<p>

"I'm not lying, Kazuo. She just starting floating, Masao. She's a freak!" The boy replies, his voice is trembling. Toshi smirks coldly. These bastards are going to get it. The school boys start laughing, hardly holding onto their drinks. Toshi rolls his eyes. They've probably acquired alcohol of some description and clearly, they can't hold it. Amateurs.

"Whatever, dude. We'll get her good tomorrow, Suguro." Masao replies. Toshi narrows his eyes. They won't be coming near her if they have brains. They probably don't though.

"Yeah, that arrogant bitch won't know what's coming." Kazuo replies. Toshi's lips twist into a feral snarl. Okay, he won't hold back now. Masking his emotions, he walks over to them calmly. "Oh, look who it is! Romeo!" Kazuo mocks coldly, his butt-boys joining in on the laughter.

"Please _don't _compare me to that lovesick idiot." Toshi replies, glancing across at them. Most of them are of slight build, he can probably take them on. But not on the street - he can't risk that.

"Oh puh-leaze. You are so much like Romeo, it's the cheesiest thing ever." Suguro replies mockingly, the other two laughing with him. Toshi suppresses his laughter.

"I wasn't aware that I was a seventeen year old boy who lusted after a girl four years my junior. Secondly, I'm not dead and thirdly, I don't speak in Shakespearean English." Toshi muses, stepping a bit closer. "Clearly, you know nothing of Shakespeare." Toshi says coolly, tucking a hand into his coat pocket.

"You think you know everything, don't you loverboy?" Kazuo snarls, his hand balling up into a fist. Toshi raises a mocking brow. They must be really thick if they're considering starting a fight in public.

"Oh, no. I don't think I know everything but I know a lot more than you." Toshi replies, a smirk curling on his face. They clearly have know no idea who they are dealing with.

"You bastard! You think you're better than everyone else, but really, you're not. You're the same as us, asshole." Suguro hisses, tossing away his drink into the street. The glass bottle makes a deafening smash, and leftover alcohol spills into the storm drain. Toshi sniffs and balks at the strong odor of alcohol. Clearly, their parents are completely ignorant.

"Oh, no, I'm definitely not the same as you." Toshi replies tersely, the smirk on his face widening. "To be the same as you, I'd have to fall a good distance before I began to walk on all fours like some primeval beast. I'm far more evolved than you." Toshi says smoothly, reaching into his pocket and curling his fingers around the handle of his switchblade. Toshi then contemplates. No. He can't kill them. Not here. But he knows the next best thing in teaching a lesson.

* * *

><p>Ringo walks into her house. It's still long empty, desolate and cold. Even if she had parents, they were never around. Her mother was constantly on business and barely ever came home. Only coming home a few weeks a year, and then vanishing once again.<p>

Her father worked and lived overseas in America, he owned a company that exported apples, which believe it or not, was a good business. She was Japanese American but she was born in Los Angeles and raised in Tokyo so no one could immediately notice she was different. Other than her surname, Logan.

Ringo hooks a fingernail beneath the stitch of a loose thread on her shirt and frowned, brows furrowing in puzzlement. She dumps her satchel on the chair and then collapses onto a chair and puts her head in her hands. Why today of all days does she has to deal with this kind of shit? Ringo makes herself a cup of green tea and when the water had boiled over, she poured the cup with shaking hands.

Ringo stares at her cup of tea and broods. Dating, parties, movies, books, video games, slacking off, schoolwork, more schoolwork – all that could never take this bad memory away. She feels nauseous, paranoid and all in all, terrible. Ringo bites her lip and stared into the yellowy-green depths of her tea where her silhouette was shadowing the polished table. Suddenly, she finds the patterns in the wood to be very fascinating.

Ryuk is standing behind her but she ignores him, pretending that all this is a dream. But even she knows this is no dream. "Ringo, do you have any apples?" Ryuk asks. Ringo points over to the bowl of apples on the table. Her father gives her free apples when he comes home to give her 'brain food' and going by the old proverb 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' shizz.

"I hate my life." Ringo groans. She headbangs against the surface of the dining room table, not caring how many brain cells she just killed.

"Ringo?" Yet again, she ignores Ryuk; she's too absorbed in her thoughts right now. "HEY!" Ryuk yells deafeningly loud - he has such a large lung capacity for a thin chest. Ringo was rather startled by that one.

Jerking her head off the table, Ringo perked up too quick to be true with her heart leaping into her throat. "Yes? What is it?" She replies wearily, she's worn out and sleepy. Not to mention, starving. Though she can't eat with this painful nausea. She won't be able to stomach even a single grape.

"What's the big deal?" Ryuk demands, raising his arms. It's a TREMENDOUS deal, having a shinigami in your house. She still doesn't know why she said he could stay. Even though he probably would anyway, regardless of what she said. She still doesn't know why she didn't throw that book away when she still got it. She's a mess. This day has really not helped her.

"I don't know, it's been a hard day." Ringo replies absentmindedly. She picks up her tea and sips it, tilting the cup so she swallows the tea down. She feels somewhat better, maybe good enough to eat something. She reaches out for an apple and holds it in her hands. "How many did you eat?" Ringo asks, it's almost incredulous! The bowl is nearly empty; the pyramid of apples has vanished into thin air. He has some impressive apple cravings! She then takes a bite of the apple. Her father doesn't use chemical treatment on his apples. The natural taste remains preserved, probably explains why so many people like his apples.

Ringo sighs ruefully. It's been a nightmare today.

* * *

><p>After a while, Ringo doesn't feel so bad. She has a relatively simple dinner of chicken sushi. She can't be damned cooking anything else. After a shower she's going to watch the news or watch soap opera until she's tired enough to go to bed. But she can't stop thinking about this book. What could she use it for? She had written a few names down of some rapists, murderers and a few other bigshot criminals and so far hadn't heard anything more. Maybe the evening news can confirm if this shit is real. But now, a shower.<p>

Ringo paced quickly down the hallway and into the bathroom. She locks the door in case Ryuk happens to be a pervert and then slipping her clothes off, she gets into the shower. Rinsing her hair out and combing it with her fingers, she washes her hair twice through and scrubs herself. After two minutes, she gets out of the shower and towels herself in record time. Wrapping the towel around herself, she slips into her room and changes into her pyjamas. Sneaking back to the living room with a pillow and blanket, she then snuggles up on the couch.

She turns on her television with the remote, and looks blankly at the screen. "C'mon, turn on damn you!" Ringo demands, frenziedly clicking the power button on her remote. The screen refuses to switch itself on. Ringo sighs in irritation. She gets up off the couch and walks over. She pokes the power button on the television and finally, it switches on. "My TV is such a cranky bastard. Okay, six o'clock news, what have you got on?"

"We have received information that fifteen criminals have died today of heart attacks. The question on everyone's minds... After seven on and off years of chaos, has Kira returned for good? And if so, who will be next?" No fucking way. The Death Note, Ryuk... They're real. She isn't dreaming or hallucinating. This shit just got real. She switches off the TV and begins blathering angrily to no one.

"Oh gods, my parents are going to kill me if they ever find out. Holy crap, I'm exactly like Kira, freaking Kira. No way, impossible. Kira disappeared six years ago..." Ringo whispers, her fingers knot through her hair. Ryuk looks at her, fascinated by her reaction. This human woman was a crack-up. He would be back in business in no time, this one's even better than Light. "Ryuk... Would Kira have anything to do with the Death Note? Who was the previous Kira...?" Ringo asks slowly. She glances at Ryuk, her eyes looking for answers.

"You're catching on. If you look through it, you might work it all out." Ryuk replies, handing her the notebook. She had noticed writing on other pages but didn't really bother. She flips through it casually until she settles on a page. _Light Yagami._

"No. Way." Ringo says, staring in horror at his name. Light Yagami was a student at her school. Apparently a prodigy student who many speculated was the best school student in Japan in his time. But he... Was Kira? This is un-fucking-believable. "But…but…_why_?" Ringo asks with an ashen face, looking down at the floor beneath her feet. "Why…...why'd you do it? And…why me? I don't... Why me of all the sick fucks of this world who'd want this Death Note? I'm not implying I'm a sick fuck by the way." Ringo utters, fixing her gaze onto the shinigami.

"Keh. Don't be so vain. The shinigami world is boring, I was bored, I dropped my Death Note and you happened to pick it up. End of story." Ryuk replies candidly. She's already sensing that there is a personality clash here. If so, they're going to be fighting all the time. This is not a good thing. But boredom? Boredom? Fucking _boredom_? He dropped this here because he was _bored? _

"Y-y-you_ jackass_!" She suddenly exploded with sheer fury. She paced back and forth; she wanted to scream her head off at this guy.

"I'm a jackass?" Ryuk replies monotonously but the venomous glare Ringo fixed him with immediately made him wish he hadn't said that.

"What the hell? Who the hell do you think you are? Playing with my mental health like I'm your voodoo doll or something? I swear I would kill you right now if I could, you arrogant ass!" Ringo howls, not caring if the neighbors will hear her. Ringo was pissed, and nothing so far would change that. Ryuk cocks his head in slight interest. Light hadn't been afraid of him, but he'd never gone so far as to ever cuss him out. This girl is so much fun and completely fearless, especially when she ranted.

"So, are you having fun with the Death Note?" Ryuk asked nonchalantly, dismissing her earlier mini-rant. Well, Ringo had to admit that it felt kind of good writing the names down of those sick fuckers.

"That's got nothing to do with this! None of your goddamn business Ryuk. It's my business! Keep the hell out!" Ringo retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Ringo probably looked so dumb with all that stuttering and denial. Damn it. She liked the idea of killing criminals to protect the innocent from wrongdoers. On the other hand, she wasn't in any way like Kira who was just killing criminals at first then killing the elderly and people who just asked for it. No, she won't kill people without a good reason.

"Oh, but it is my business. It's no fun living with someone who doesn't like shaking things up." Ryuk turns around, plucking up another apple from the fruit bowl. Ringo pauses, her mouth settles in a hard line. "After all, I'm staying with you." Ryuk adds, the apple is gone with one bite.

"What? No! Hell no! You are _not_ staying with me! You're insane! You're an evil, insane fucking clown! And I don't give a damn if you're a shinigami, you are not sticking around!" Ringo huffs irately. Ringo stomps back to her couch and scowls angrily. Ryuk brings out the worst in her.

"Ha. Don't worry…no one can see me. Only those who touch the Death Note, so no one will know I'm here other than you. And you're stuck with me so don't try anything." Ryuk replies in a almost mocking tenor, the grin on his face widening by the second. Ringo sighs before sitting down on the couch, head in hands. Great. So, he's going to make fun of her twenty four-seven and only she can hear him? Charming.

"Okay, since this is my house, I'm going to lay down some rules. Okay, I don't know if you're a pervert or not but when I'm in the bathroom, the bathroom is off-limits." Ringo says firmly. Ryuk rolls his wide, yellow eyes. Oh puh-leaze. "Secondly, if you're reasonable, you'll get a bag of apples each day. But that's only if you're nice. If you're behave in any way I dislike, you don't get any apples. That's all. Now, any more Death Note rules you wanna tell me?" Ringo finishes, hands on her hips. He rolled over in the air, obviously amused by her rules.

"Don't think that any human that uses the Death Note will go to heaven or hell." Ryuk replies, his tone is serious. Oh. Purgatory. Nice. That's really something to look forward to. Not. "And you'll suffer torment that is only known to users of the Note." Damn it, she doesn't like torment. It's a pain in the ass. And also, it's nothing new.

"That's fine with me. I can handle torment." She states simply, too aggravated to say anything else. She's still pissed off from the earlier episode and she has a busy schedule tomorrow. She's going to see her friend Ayame and then she's going on a date with Toshi. Though something about that guy creeps her out. "Why do you like apples so much?" Ringo peers up at the shinigami, her tone is wistful and curious.

"Well…you see, for me…apples are…like cigarettes or alcohol. If I don't eat them…I go through withdrawal. Really bad withdrawal. I twist my body up like a pretzel, and stand on my head…" Ryuk admits, scratching at his elbow. He plucks up another apple, and takes a bite out of it. Wow, like a contortionist?

Ringo crawled onto her favorite spot on the couch, the place where she likes to watch soap opera or just do whatever the hell she likes. She pulled up the blanket, and closed her eyes. She finally felt tired enough to go to sleep. "Night, Ryuk," Ringo mutters before turning over on her side and falling asleep.

After a while, she twists and turns. "No, no, Mr. Suzuki. NO." She talks in her sleep, tossing and turning under the thin blanket. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill them Sensei." She whines in her sleep, her eyes flutter. "You see, this bastard shinigami dumped this book on me... What do you mean bullshit? They exist, I swear! The hell? I'm telling the truth! I'M NOT KIRA!" Ringo exclaims loudly, her back spasms and then relaxes. Ryuk is actually kind of amused.

"... Uhhh... Ringo?" Ryuk pokes the girl in the forehead, and gets no response. Even being the Shinigami King was boring. Even though some of the rules didn't apply to him, he felt no different. Maybe he should just hand the title to someone else, and go back to being old Ryuk.

"All these clowns... They are coming for me!" Ringo whispers fearfully, her fingers grasp onto the sofa. "Oh my god, holy crap... Ahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Clowns, clowns, oh gosh, clowns... MORE CLOWNS! Haha, I'm running everywhere but there's so many clowns!" Ringo stifles laughter in her sleep, the grip her fingers have lessened.

"Ringo?" Ryuk calls to the sleeping girl again, but yet again, Ryuk neither hears nor sees any response whatsoever.

The girl then freezes, and her fingers claw at the blanket swathed over herself. "Oh my god. Everything's turned black just now. Oh shoot! Something's behind me. Oh shoot...! I don't like this. I don't see shit, someone help me!" Ringo cries fearfully, tossing and turning. Ringo then bolts up in her sleep and grabs onto Ryuk, squeezing him tightly. Ryuk feels the same hotness flowing to his cheeks again. This Ringo is so... Amusing.

* * *

><p><strong>I thought that was relatively fun to write. Death Note fans, peace out ~<strong>**  
>Slushy<strong>


	3. Chapter Three

**AN: Yay! I've finally ended the school year... Which means shizzloads more fanfiction chapters all around *throws cookies everywhere* and finally I'm free from my torment, the awful and extremely irritating case of Writer's Block I had. I will release my Akatsuki mini-fanfiction very soon *heart***

**Enjoy~! And OnePiece CookieMonster (Cookie-chan), thanks for being awesome :p**

****EDIT (18/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Three**

Ringo sighs, getting woken up at midnight by a hyperactive shinigami (who somehow got hyper off APPLES.) who's bouncing around, breaking her mother's good china while he's at it. Her mother is not only going to kill her slowly and painfully... Who knows what her mother is capable of? A criminal lawyer is pretty ruthless. It's pretty hard to beat them in a debate. It's impossible to win an argument with your mother when she's a lawyer.

Ringo shakes her head. "You're worse than the March Hare on crack..." Ringo murmurs, but the shinigami laughs manically and continues tearing her house down. Ringo shuffles around, resisting the strong urge inside her to punch the crap out of that shinigami. This wake-up call is the last straw. "You instantly piss me off when I see you." Ringo grumbles, shifting past him to reach the last apple. Ryuk doesn't appear to be listening to her, still ransacking her house for more apples.

Ryuk spots the apple in her hand, and snatches it away. "That would be mine." Ryuk states coldly, his eyes flick their attention back to the apple. He croons sweet nothings to the small apple. Ringo was devastated - all of her apples have been eaten, and she only got one.

Ringo was now shaking with fury. "Ryuk, you do realize that if I figure out a way to kill you, there is a 99.99% chance you'll die, right?" Ringo's tone is tinged with fury. Ringo's lips twist into an unusual cruel slasher smile. Suddenly, he looks so amused by her threat. Why doesn't he take her seriously? There's nothing as disconcerting as a smile without a hint of happiness in it. "I give up." She collapses back down onto the couch. She flicks open the notebook, settling on the next set of rules.

_HOW TO USE IT III_

_1. If the time of death is written within 40 seconds after writing the cause of death as a heart attack, the time of death can be manipulated, and the time can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name.  
><em>_2. The human who touches the Death Note can recognize the image and voice of its original owner, a shinigami, even if the human is not the owner of the note._

"Interesting." Ringo murmurs, glancing at the page. Why is she even doing this? She's actually considering using the Death Note. Even after everything that happened last time. Ringo sighs, closing the notebook. Ringo picks up the phone and speed-dials Ayame's number.

Ayame is her best friend, she's your typical delinquent and gave Ringo a bad influence but Ringo loved her to pieces. "Ringo... You have three goddamn seconds to explain why the hell you're calling at one in the freaking morning!" Ayame's voice started off soft, slowly escalating to a half-yell. Oh shit... Ringo had forgotten that small fact, when she decided to call her. She had forgotten how bad-tempered Ayame is when she's woken up. "Ringo... I am going to come over there and truncheon you in the face if you don't start talking right now." Ayame snaps. Ayame isn't usually this pissed but Ringo doesn't blame her. Ringo did call her in the middle of the night.

"Ayame-chan, I'm so sorry. I've evolved into a night owl... But anyway- RYUK, IF YOU DON'T STOP BREAKING THINGS, I'M GOING TO COME OVER THERE AND THROTTLE YOU!" Ringo chides loudly, throwing her slipper at him. It harmlessly bounces off Ryuk's back. Ryuk chuckles and stops breaking things, continuing to guzzle apples in his wake. "Sorry, this guy showed up at my house and he's gone hyper off fructose." Ringo says sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Ringo retrieves her slipper, and returns to her roost on the sofa.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?" Ayame demanded. Ringo is dumbfounded, unable to speak or form words. "Poor Toshi-kun, he's going to be heartbroken!" Ayame teased, there is an agonizing throbbing in Ringo's temples, she wills it to go away but with no avail. "But in all seriousness, I'm actually insulted you didn't even tell me." Ayame says quietly, a tinge of hurt and mocking to her voice.

Tanaka Toshi always gave Ringo this strange, ominous feeling in her gut. Something about him told Ringo that he was dangerous. He's constantly watching her in class, sitting as close to her as possible. He's constantly flirting with her. Yet, impossible as it seems, she accepted his offer of a date. Why? So she can work out what in the gods' names is going on..

"Shaddup! Leave Kireta-kun out of this!" Ringo groans, leaning back onto the pillow. Ringo is getting pissed off already, Ryuk is unusually quiet... The throbbing is spreading around her forehead and eye-sockets. Is this a kind of migraine of some description? Perfect. Just wonderful. Ringo needed a migraine for the only day she has each week off school.

"Chill, Ringo. I was only joking. _Kireta_-kun sent a guy to hospital after school yesterday because the guy was being a total dick." Ayame replies coolly, but there's a tinge of apprehension in her voice. "I can't say he didn't deserve it, he was always a prick from what I've heard. Apparently, he and some other guys hid in an alley to scare you. But Toshi beat the crap out of him." Ayame says nonchalantly, sitting up in her bed. Her parents are downstairs, so it's unlikely they'll hear Ayame talking on the phone.

"Oh my god." Ringo utters softly, her hand goes over her mouth. So, Toshi actually took it to the next level? No more idle threats, death glares and the like? He actually beat them down this time. Toshi is becoming dangerous.

"Kireta-kun? I don't think he's going to like that nickname..." Ayame's tone is strange, almost unrecognizable. It wafts off an expression of sarcasm yet hints of paranoia and fear. Another expression is there but it's something Ringo can't put her finger on. "By the way, tell me moooore of this new boyfriend of yours!" Ayame bursts out suddenly. Ryuk isn't her boyfriend! He's an applehead. A hyperactive one if you account for what's happening in the background. He probably has attention deficit disorder as well, judging from the fact he's constantly distracted and can't even sit still.

Ringo rolls her eyes, and pulls the blanket over her knees. "He's not my boyfriend. I hardly know him." She replies, but she knows how persistent Ayame is. Gods. She's going to freak out when she finds out shinigami exist. It's probably wise to keep her misinformed.

"Is it Shigure-kun?" Ayame inquires, her voice has gone up an octave. Who the hell is that?

"Ummm... No?" Ringo answers in a confused tone. She doesn't know anyone called Shigure... Who is Shigure? Ringo turns and walks down the hallway, she's going to paint her fingernails because she can't be damned to go back to sleep. Ryuk isn't going to lose his fructose high anytime soon.

She stands in front of her bedroom door and reaches for the doorknob. She keeps her hand on the doorknob for a few moments, her heart is racing. Ever since that dream she had about clowns, zombies and clown zombies, she's become paranoid. She needs to get rid of this reawakened fear of clowns for good. She had feared clowns since the age of eight, going to the library and issuing a copy of 'IT', curious beyond measure of the black and white clown on the cover. She read through about halfway at midnight and by dawn, had been scarred for life.

She had never thought the same way about clowns since that stormy night. The fear had manifested her brain and had nearly driven her to the brink of insanity. She's never been able to go to circuses, fearing an encounter. After several years, she overcame her irrational fear and it never bothered her again. But something has made this fear return and she is now stuck in an infinite loop. Probably that very disconcerting Glasglow smile. How did Ryuk even get a Glasglow smile?

Taking a deep breath, she rotates the door knob and opens the door. She reaches for the light switch and clicks it, light floods the room and she cries out in horror. A shocking discovery greets her, she grips onto the phone at her ear. Her room is resembling that of a hoarder's living room. It is a cluster of messy piles, scattered across the floor. Ryuk hasn't been in her room yet though... She gasps loudly. What the hell happened?

* * *

><p>"What? Did you chip a nail? Cut off your toes with a fan? What the hell just happened? Tell me!" Ayame demands, her voice sounds worried. It doesn't comfort Ringo one bit. Ringo walks around the room slowly, scanning across the disarray, completely and utterly dumbstruck. Someone has gotten into her house. But how, she and Ayame had the only keys? ... And how do you cut off your toes with a fan?<p>

"Someone's gotten into my house." Ringo replies monotonously. Ayame is deathly silent, not speaking not even the faintest murmur on the other line. "Ayame? Are you okay? Please answer me... For once in my life, I'm fucking scared shitless." Ringo asks, her voice tinged with panic.

"Do you know if they took anything? It was probably a burglar." Ayame replies calmly, trying to calm Ringo and herself down. Ringo looks across the tumbled mess that was once her tidy bedroom. But it was nothing like it was.

"I don't think so, nothing of substantial value has been taken." Ringo replies quietly, rifling through the mess.

"Could've it been Kireta-kun? How? You should call the cops! He probably nicked your key. Or mine." Ringo drops the phone, too shocked to so much as twitch a finger. She finally regains the capacity to speak and bends down and picks up the phone with trembling hands. She looks at the keys on her dressing table. The purple key is there.

"Ayame. Check your keys." Ringo replies calmly, flicking through her keys. It can't have been her key.

"Ummm... Ringo? I can't find it." Ayame replies warily, looking through her school bag and then through her uniform pockets. But how could he have gotten it?

"Ayame, I think he has been here... He hasn't taken anything as far as I know. He didn't take my laptop or iPod so it can't be a burglar." Ringo says softly, walking over her room slowly, looking for missing possessions. "None of the windows or doors have been broken into. I checked earlier today, and all of them were locked. The door was locked when I came home last night." Ringo murmurs, glancing down at her keys again. "I think he has your key.." Ringo concludes softly. Ringo sits down on the bed and tries to keep herself calm. She'll have to call the cops... Or do something...

"I think that's why he may have been late to school yesterday. He looked kind of suspicious and when the teacher asked why he was late, he froze up and denied being late... He's a fucking nutter." Ayame replies, her voice sounds tense. Ringo then focuses her mind, spacing out for a consecutive moment. She has to figure out what to do, and she knows that Tanaka Toshi is more than just dangerous.

"Okay, I'll have to be extremely careful, as much as I don't want to, I'll still have to show up tomorrow otherwise he'll know something's up. I'm going to try and work out what this slippery bastard is up to." Ringo says uncertainly, closing the door behind her. "If I can't figure out what he's up to, I'll call up the cops. I'll try and deal with it first. I'll see you later today... Good night- er, morning." Ringo stumbles over her words, but laughs to reassure herself.

Ayame laughs, and murmurs something inaudible. "Sleep well. See you later." Ayame chirps happily. Ringo chuckles and the line disconnects with a click.

"I'm staying up... I can't sleep tonight knowing that this creep could be lurking around my house..." Ringo murmurs to herself, not caring who's listening. She shuffles around the room, picking up textbooks, magazines and exams papers as she goes along and putting them back on her study desk and shelves. She's turning into a bit of a neat freak but she doesn't like it when her room is a mess, she can't find her stuff when she needs it. Her room is eventually back in it's tidy state. Satisfied, she exits out the door, switches off the lights and locks the door behind her.

"Gimme an apple!" Ryuk quips, standing directly in front of her.

"Ryuk... Now is not the damn time." Ringo sighs in exasperation, looking skeptically at the shinigami that looks similar to a dead zombified clown.

"C'mon! Gimme an apple!" Ryuk whines, his Glasglow smile twists into a pout. Ringo shakes her head, she's still wondering why she allowed him to stick around. After one bag of apples, he got hyper off them.

"No, apples are bad for you. They make more more insane than you already are. I'm never buying a bag of apples again. Not for me, not for you. One apple each day..." Ringo asserts, her gaze fixed on Ryuk. Ryuk cries out in horror at the thought of only one apple a day... Hyper Ryuk is madder than the goddamned Mad Hatter when hyper off apples. Fructose can give you one hell of a sugar rush!

"But why? There's nothing wrong with apples!" Ryuk whines, following Ringo into the living room.

"You need help Ryuk... And you need it soon..." Ringo replies brusquely. She won't be able to get used to Ryuk breaking her mother's china every day and having her neck on the block because of it. No. Just... No.

"Please don't do this! I'll do anything!" Ryuk implores, his yellow eyes beseeching her to change her mind.

"However, I might change my mind if I can have your belt. It's so freaking cool! Oh my god, I have issues... NO, GIMME THAT BELT!" Ryuk ignores Ringo's outburst with hardly any effort. "'Fine, I will change my mind but you have to give me the belt... C'mon, please?" Ringo begs, attempting the cute eyes. He still ignores her, she wants this belt... Wants it so very badly! "Fine, four bags a day. No haggling of any kind!" She's totally going to regret this. But she got the belt, didn't she?

"I can't give you my belt." Ryuk replies bluntly. DAMN IT! It's the belt that holds his other Death Note. Ringo can't take it, the desire for a new belt is eating away at her brain. So... Tempting... And all that for a belt? Why? Because when she bought that new pair of black skinny jeans, she couldn't afford a belt. She wants a belt to pair the jeans with. And that belt is kind of... No, completely awesome.

"Alright, you'll get one more bag if you get a belt like yours pronto!" Ringo groans, finally giving in. This belt better be worth this.

* * *

><p>Ringo looks in the mirrors, looking at her new belt from all angles she could see. Yay, it looks so cool and it fits nicely! She had paired her new jeans with a black faux leather jacket and a panda singlet. She was going out relatively simple-looking, and she can't be damned doing anything other than lipgloss and a little eyeliner with it. "HEY! You promised me apples!" Ryuk wails loudly. Ryuk has been trying to get her attention for the past ten minutes but she was too occupied with a mani-pedi duo.<p>

"Alright, fine, we'll stop by 7/11 on the way..." Ringo replied tersely. She slips on a pair of combat boots, she's too scared to walk with stilettos today. Or rather, there was a serious incident which involved a broken ankle. Yeah, she's not good with heels... She brushes back her wine red hair behind her ears, it irritates her if it gets in her face. She got her red hair from her father's side of the family, or so her parents say. She picks up her black canvas bag, she decided to bring the Death Note with her, she can't bear to think of the thought of how Kireta-kun might run across it and become from stalker to crazed serial killer. That is not a pretty image...

She stands up and walks around the house, checking that every single door and window is locked. Ringo also started using the deadbolts, before this, she didn't understand the need for them. Well, now, she's grateful they're there. She had put tape over the windows during her five hour period of spazzing out and paranoia so that Kireta-kun wouldn't get in. Or whoever the hell it was that got in.

She walks over to the front door and pushes the handle down and steps out into broad daylight. Slamming the door behind her, she hears a click as it locks itself, she sighs with relief. Kireta-kun is so dead if he breaks into her house AGAIN. She walks down the pavement in the direction of the nearest 7/11. She's going to regret buying these apples for him, he's going to be hyper all goddamn day.

After five minutes of walking through deserted streets and lonely looking houses with manicured lawns, she couldn't help but think where all the people were... Probably at this time of day, all the children would be hanging out in town and all the adults at work or wherever.

_Ding-dong. _She steps on the 'Welcome' mat to the 7/11 store, she's already regretting doing this. She drags herself over to the aisle where fruits are, damn you Ryuk. There are about five apples per bag and they're about ¥398 each... To put it simply, they're very expensive. Taking two bags of apples in each arm, she goes up to the counter swiftly before she changes her mind. "That'll be ¥ 1592." The shopkeeper drones. DAMN. She pays ¥ 1600 for the apples, feeling incredibly pissed off at Ryuk. Him and his damn cravings.

* * *

><p>"Ringo, why the hell where you so late?" Ayame demands, her hands on her hips. Ryuk took about fifteen minutes to eat his apples, making her late for meeting up with Ayame. And Ayame was not a patient person. In fact, she was a very impatient person. "Oh, I know! You dirty little minx... You were with your boyfriend, weren't you?" Ayame says impishly, waggling her finger in Ringo's direction. Damn it. Ayame has a perverted mind...<p>

"NO! NO! That's not it, no! No..." Ringo denies loudly, she's already piqued up after two seconds. Ayame clicks her tongue and shakes her finger at her. Ringo turns bright red from being mortified and entirely ashamed. Ayame has turned her into a human train wreck. She's so embarrassed, she can't even speak...

"Eh, don't worry. Your dirty little secret is safe with me!" Ayame whispers in Ringo's ear, patting her shoulder. Ayame loves mocking her. Ringo sighs in exasperation, curse that perverted mind of Ayame. Curse it to the deepest, darkest level of Purgatory. "Well, hurry the hell up! Get your beverages, your food or whatever and get the hell into the cinema!" Ayame barks, gesturing for Ringo to hurry up. Again, Ayame's impatience is staggering, in the bad way.

"Say no more!" Ringo announces, zipping over to the food counter. She eyes the boxes of Pocky, she has Pocky cravings and she's going to go hyper during the movie. She returns to Ayame, with a ridiculous amount of Pocky and candies in tow. Ayame just rolls her eyes and drags Ringo up the escalator and into the cinema.

Ringo searches he darkness for a seat, the opening advertisements had already started and this particular ad had to start with a pitch black screen. Bloody hell. She falls over a step and lands on her face, the Death Note flies out of her canvas bag and lands several meters away. Ayame scrambles over and hands it back to her. Only then does she see Ryuk. But her reaction is unusual. "OH MY GOD! Ringo, you have an emo clown friend?" Ayame flails all over the place, poking and prodding Ryuk like she's inspecting animal stock.

"Fuck off! It's my dead, evil clown, get your own!" Ringo says seriously, but there is a smile on her face. Damn it, every time she's trying to be serious, she always ends up smiling. Why is that?

* * *

><p><strong>I know this was an awkward place to end this chapter but I've been writing all day and I had to revise my Japanese for next year otherwise my sensei will kill me (Oh noooooooooooooooooes D:). However, I have good news. My homework is easy and I'll be back to fanfiction writing in no time *heart*<strong>

**Now, my lovely readers... Please (you don't have to) review, you don't have to but a review would be appreciated. Goodnight y'all :)**

**Okay, I nearly forgot to leave name meanings... I just do that for some reason.**

**Ringo **(林檎)** It means 'apple' though most people would know that ^^  
>Ayame<strong> (菖蒲)** It means 'iris flower'...**  
><strong>Toshi<strong> (慧) **A name meaning "alert, bright, intelligent."  
>Oh yeah and 'Kireta-kun' literally means 'Mr. Psycho'<strong>

**Kay, I'm going to sleep now. Bye bye ~**

**Slushy**


	4. Chapter Four

**AN: Oh my god... Where to begin? Time flies fast and today I discovered that. I started off writing kanji for Japanese homework over the holidays this morning, only after I thought it had been fifteen minutes, it was nightfall. My hand is hurting like hell and I have come to a conclusion that my left hand is going on vacation for a few days; yes, I'm left-handed ~(^.^)~**

**And then, when I had my cookie break (fanfiction writing), I discovered much to my delight, I had my first review... I WAS ABSOLUTELY HAPPY! /end joyful spazz out**

**HarryPotterMangaGleek... Congratulations, you are awesome! *awards giant cookie* Though I think you already know you're awesome.**

**And it sucks that fanfiction has only two categories per story, and there's possibly a third category for this: Mystery, because there may be some whodunit mysteries (or even mysteries for you to solve) through the story. ;)**

**Teehee, enjoy my lovelies ;)**

****EDIT (18/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Four  
><strong>

Ringo wasn't exactly happy with the bad start to a cheesy chick-flick but she'll have to deal with it. She tries to interpret what the hell's going on in the movie, but it's kind of hard when Ryuk is pestering her about the lack of apples as cinema food. Ringo is already embarrassed enough about the 'this evil, dead clown is mine, fuck off' fracas. Ayame is sitting to her left, begging Ringo if she can have her own 'emo clown'. She can hardly imagine Ayame toting a Death Note.

Ringo flicks to a page, glancing at one of the rules in her line of sight.

_HOW TO USE IT IV:  
><em>  
><em>1. The person in possession of the Death Note is possessed by a shinigami, its original owner, until they die.<em>

_'Well, on a positive note, Ayame would be thrilled to have a shinigami.'_Ringo muses, a slight smirk on her face. Otherwise, Ryuk is going to haunt her. Forever. Wonderful. Ringo closes the book with an irritated sigh.

Ringo searches her pockets for the chocolate bar she had been saving, only to realize that is was gone. For once in her life, she wants to break the record for the loudest scream... Frankly, she's so pissed off in the moment, she doesn't care how many people in this cinema will go deaf from this frustrating experience. Luckily for the other people here, she decides to try and stay calm.

But chocolate is the remedy for her when she's stressed or angry and since there is a lack of chocolate, Ringo's in serious danger of having a huge meltdown. She notices a teenage boy, maybe a year or two younger than her slip on a slippery wrapper that she instantly recognizes as her chocolate bar.

The boy slams into the carpeted stairs, impossibly hard, momentarily stunned. He seemed fine but the casualty here was Ringo's beloved chocolate bar. It had exploded within its packet and left a gruesome dark brown smear on the carpet, leaking cream and caramel goo everywhere like a sickening candy crime-scene. Ringo's brain has just exploded inside her skull.

Ryuk and Ayame are still chattering away into Ringo's ears, their whinging bouncing all around her skull and driving Ringo madder than a rabid dog. "I swear... If you two don't shut the fuck up right now, I am going to squash your heads like grapefruits." Ringo hisses loudly, sounding more enraged that a viper that just got stepped on. They don't appear to have heard her threat, Ringo then surrenders... Nothing is going to shut them up at this point.

Finally, after hours of endless jabbering and moaning, they finally shut up at the closing credits. Ringo gets up shakily and walks out the back, not shaking from fear but from undeniable rage. She tries to keep herself calm, but with no avail. She runs a hand through her hair and gave a discarded can on the ground a kick, which only earned her dirty looks from the surrounding people. "Damn it!" She hisses angrily under her breath, thankfully earning no attention.

There was a sharp pain in her jaw, and Ringo realized that she had been clenching her teeth. She releases her jaw, the frustration is slowly ebbing away. She doesn't even know why she was angry now. "Ringo, I'm sorry... I obviously pissed you off." Ayame apologizes with a gentle voice and Ringo nods in acknowledgement, trying to think of a way to put her mind at ease. In an hour, she has to meet up with Toshi and the mere thought of it is nerve-racking.

* * *

><p>"They couldn't arrest him... Kireta-kun, I mean, because there were no witnesses and there was a lack of evidence. The victim has died and my dad says that he died from heart failure... The police think it's some guy called Kira." So, Toshi has gone another step further now? He's killed someone else?<p>

Ringo suspects Toshi may have a Death Note, that puts a dent in her plan to investigate him. His shinigami would still be there if she tried to find the Death Note and it could report back to him and he could instantly kill her. If she tries to pull away from him, he would probably attempt to kill her too.

"I see. He's not only hospitalized someone, but he managed to kill someone too." Ringo replies quietly, glancing to the floor. This is too awful to describe in words.

"But my dad said that there were traces of insulin in his bloodstream... My dad told me that an overdose of insulin was found in the guy's tox-screen and over dosage of insulin can kill someone..." Ayame trails off, her tone sounds uncertain.

Was this guy diabetic, if not why was there insulin in his bloodstream? Maybe Kireta-kun doesn't have a Death Note... Either way, she has to find out. "Yeah, that's really weird... Does your dad know whether or not the guy was diabetic?" Ringo inquires, sipping on her shaved ice. Ayame cocks her head, confused by Ringo's question.

"No... He wasn't... That's the thing that's baffling my dad." Ayame replies, placing her palms on the table. "You see, insulin is usually the drug that diabetics take and as an interesting fact my dad brought up that some people commit suicide with it every year." Ayame says, glancing at Ringo.

"So, maybe it was a suicide." Ringo replies calmly, trying to firmly believe that this was a dream. Toshi's now in trouble with the police for beating up a student and possibly for killing another. How could everything manifest itself into pandemonium in twenty four hours?

"It's not very common for them to die and they usually end up in comatose. Some of my dad's workmates think the guy committed suicide but my dad thinks someone drugged him with the insulin..." Ayame answers, glancing out of the window and then back to Ringo.

"Huh. That's weird..." Ringo murmurs, glancing down to the table. Toshi has actually been arrested on suspicion of murder. But Ayame's father have never been wrong yet. Ayame's father works at the morgue (and sometimes for the police) as a pathologist, where he performs autopsies on corpses to confirm cause of death... So if he thinks it was murder, he's most likely to be right.

"The weirdest thing though... It's that when they questioned his parents to ask if he was suicidal, the parents said that there was no reason." Ayame replies, clutching onto her shaved ice. "He wasn't being bullied, he wasn't unhappy, there was nothing wrong and that's the thing that's making my dad so suspicious. He thinks either Toshi or Kira is responsible." Ayame says lowly, to ensure no one will overhear them. If someone overhear this, they might lose their appetite.

"That's... Bizarre. Why would anyone go after him?" Ringo asks herself, her mind half somewhere else. If the boy wasn't suicidal, then why was there an overdose of insulin? It can't be Kira because Ringo is Kira... Or maybe there are several Kiras?

Ringo turns her attentions over to Hikaru, the dead guy. She didn't know this guy well, she didn't even know his name but he was kind-hearted and a favorite of the teachers. As far as she know, no one had a reason to bully him and he wasn't being bullied. So, why did he end up dead?

"I know... Hikaru was so nice, he wouldn't hurt anyone, why would someone want to kill him?" Ayame asks softly, taking a spoonful of shaved ice. It appears that Ayame is seeing the same perspective. Ringo is going to ask Toshi a lot of questions. Now she knows the victim's name, her investigation will be easier to solve now she has one starter piece of the puzzle.

"Who knows?" Ringo replies, poking at her shaved ice. Talking about dead people had put her mind off her shaved ice, and now, it had become watery slush.

"Well, it's been half an hour... Kireta-kun is going to get pissed off if you're late." Ayame jokes, a expression of nervousness written all over her face. She's scared for Ringo. "PLEASE call me if something goes wrong. If you can't call me, run like hell." Ayame says in a joking tone, but both know she's perfectly serious.

"Yup, I'll be sure to do that..." Ringo replies coolly, she's positive it won't come to that. Ryuk rolls around in the air idly, ignoring their conversation. He's too occupied daydreaming about apples. Or so Ringo thinks... Who knows what is going on in that brain of his?

* * *

><p>"Hey." Toshi says in a friendly tone, walking over to Ringo and wrapping an arm casually around her waist. Ringo wants to flinch, but she has to maintain her composure if she wants to find out if Toshi killed Hikaru. "Are you okay? You're unusually quiet." Toshi asks in a concerned tone, he's always this solicitous with her.<p>

"I'm fine, I'm socially awkward..." Ringo replies calmly, a small smile on her lips. Toshi smirks in reply, his dark brown hair falling over his dark blue eyes. "So... Hey yourself." Ringo chirps, trying to calm the tension. Ringo is slightly afraid, this guy scares her and he could be a murderer.

She fakes her emotions so he won't know something's up. She doesn't know his mental capacity but being able to cover his tracks so cleverly when he killed Hikaru is enough to prove that he's cunning. Unless he's innocent, then she'll have to predict his mental capacity on her own.

"It's okay. So, I was planning to take you to Spaceland but I got the bus times wrong. So instead, do you mind if we go out to a restaurant?" Toshi asks, sounding only slightly apologetic. Bullshit. He deliberately missed the bus times. Ringo knows it. Ringo isn't sure of how to tell him she just ate... "Oh, you must've already eaten with Ayame..." Toshi says, sounding a bit frustrated. How the hell did he know she was with Ayame? Ringo said friends, not Ayame.

"Yeah, sorry." Ringo says sheepishly. Just how much does Toshi know about her?

"In that case, my place or yours?" He asks coolly, glancing at her. Ummmm... Doesn't he know the first date rule? "Oh my god no, I phrased that wrong... What I _meant_, was do you want to hang out at my place?" He asks exasperatedly, sounding a bit frustrated with himself.

Ringo sighs with relief, it would've been creepy if he meant what she thought he meant, considering that she doesn't know him well enough to go to that stage. "Sure, your place would be good... god no, your place SOUNDS fun... Grah, my grammar is awful." Ringo replies, now he's made her clumsy too. Damn it. He just laughs, the way his hair covers his eyes is kind of hot, sexy even... NO, he's a murderer! Well, he could be...

He escorts her down the busy street, shadowing her and even guarding her jealously from any boys from school that walk past. He's acting just like an overprotective boyfriend or a dragon hoarding its treasure. His arm is still snaked around her waist, Ryuk hovers behind her looking at the scene with slight fascination. This boy seems to be quite enamored of Ringo, maybe even in love with her.

After walking for about five minutes, they reach the suburban jungle, where houses flock each side with heavily perfumed gardens, extravagant rose bushes or simple manicured lawns. An old warehouse looms nearby, entirely out of place in this neighborhood. They reach a fancy-looking traditional house and Toshi turns sharply, dragging Ringo along with him.

"This is my house." He announces tersely, looking straight at the slide door. Does he live on his own? "I moved out of my parent's house... Well, technically they kicked me out but I like the solitude... Though it's hard being lonely sometimes..." He murmurs gently, not even sure who he's speaking to.

For a moment, she feels sorry for him, but so many emotions overwhelm her, she doesn't know what word would be right to describe him. He's in a pitiful state, he could be mentally dispossessed and an extremely dangerous individual yet somehow have some kindness solely for her... He's a strange being.

* * *

><p>He opens the front door for her, she steps inside into the tempting warmth of the house as he shuts it behind her. "So, what do you think of my bachelor pad?" He asks casually, kicking off his shoes. It was a traditional house and there were steps up into the actual house and a place to put your shoes. The floor was consisted mainly of tatami mats, and there was a kitchen and a kotatsu on ground level where Toshi would eat on his own.<p>

There was a hallway with several rooms, probably several guest rooms, his own room and a bathroom. The rooms look all the same, it looked rather haphazardous to Ringo's eyes. She'd probably get lost in here. He takes off his sneakers and socks and gestures for her to take off her boots and socks as well. Ringo politely obeys him, discarding her boots and socks near the stairwell.

She steps up the stairs, the softness of tatami beneath the balls of her feet is comfortable. The atmosphere of this house is warm, her blood greets the traditional interior. Her own house wasn't in traditional style and her father had done it in Western-style so he felt more like home. Her mother wasn't exactly happy, being raised in a traditional home. Ringo's mother grew to love it not long afterwards, being intrigued by the design. Ringo preferred traditional houses to Western houses, visiting her grandparents regularly in the summer in Hokkaido, and staying with her distant cousins at the seaside.

She sometimes comes to visit her other grandparents in California at Christmas and Thanksgiving to spend time with them. She goes to America at least three times a year during the school holidays. Toshi smiles at her, he walks her over to the kotatsu as she kneels beside it, he brews some tea for the both of them. Toshi isn't really that weird anymore, maybe she misjudged him.

He brings the teapot over with two mugs. It's black tea, she can tell from the smell. and according to the smell, it's relatively strong. She likes strong black tea or green tea. "I like black tea, I hope you don't mind." He says calmly, glancing at her. She shakes her head and thanks him silently with a slight bow of her head. "Thank you for coming here." He sounds almost humble, bowing his head slightly in gratitude.

Ringo blinks owlishly for a moment, a little dazed and confused. "Eh? Oh, no problem... I thought coming to your place, we could get to know each other better, that's what dates are for right? To get to know each other better, ne?" Ringo says briskly. She's nervous. He can tell.

He smiles and nods in agreement, he agrees with her. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Toshi replies coolly, sipping at his tea. What she doesn't know is that he knows her better than she knows herself.

"Have you heard of Hikaru-kun's death, Toshi-kun?" Ringo asks abruptly, taking a sip of her tea. Toshi's heart stopped for a brief moment. He freezes up for a consecutive moment, and tears fill his eyes... If he's guilty, he's a damn good actor.

"Hikaru was my friend... When the police questioned me asking if I killed him, it was hard to believe..." He slurps his tea, his tears still haven't fell and he's looking away from her, he may be lying to get her off his tracks.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ringo tries to sound sympathetic, managing to succeed by a cat's whisker. Toshi's lips twist into a deranged grin and he chuckles sadly.

"Hikaru and I have been friends for as long as we remember. They also asked about suicide." Toshi says quietly, setting his cup down on the kotatsu. "We were close and he never said he wanted to die." Toshi continues, placing his hands on his lap.

"I see..." Ringo replies softly, trying to avoid his eyes. Ringo doesn't know whether or not to believe him.

"He was the happiest, most optimistic person I had ever met. Suicide is out of the question." Toshi says, glancing at Ringo. Ringo isn't looking at him. Toshi is somewhat bothered by that. "It is my mission in life to find his killer and have him locked up." He declares proudly, seeming genuinely determined.

"So, enough from me, let's talk about you, Kire-_Toshi_-kun. I didn't actually know Hikaru-san was your friend... And I'm sorry that the police have been on your case-" Toshi then pulls her into a tight hug, startling Ringo. He kisses her full on the lips, Ringo's too shocked to react. In a way, she feels sorry for him and decides to not pull away.

He releases her to breathe, he isn't gulping for air but a single tear falls from his right eye, a tear of sorrow. "I'm sorry, I must've startled you but... I'm so lonely. Please don't go." He pleads gently. His eyes beg for her not to leave and she complies, her heart aches from seeing someone in agony, seeing that their heart is falling apart altogether.

"I'll stay for awhile, for as long as you need me. But I'll have to go at some point but I'll come back." Ringo replies in a comforting tone. She'll have to go home and get supplies for school. Her uniform, her canvas bag among other school-related paraphernalia. "I'm really sorry Toshi-kun, about Hikaru..." Ringo murmurs guiltily, feeling terrible now.

"Thanks for caring. If you mean it." Toshi whispers softly, a sad smile on his face. He pulls her in closer into a hug, gripping onto her as if he's never going to let her go.

* * *

><p>Toshi has gone to sleep on the couch and it's time to investigate. Ringo feels kind of bad sneaking around the house of a boy who just lost his best friend. There are pictures hanging on the wall depicting Toshi... And Hikaru? When she looks closer, she then recognizes Hikaru. He was that nice kid who sat at the front near the teacher. There was a third boy in the picture. She doesn't recognize him though. The pictures aren't photo shopped, they're definitely real.<p>

Then why did Toshi kill his friend? She tiptoes around the house, looking back over her shoulder to double-check that Toshi is still asleep. She has a cover for if he does wake up... Bathroom? It's not the best excuse, but she can't think of a wittier one to save her life. She picks the first door in the hallway, she opens the rice paper slider, it's just a bedroom... She steps inside the room and a strange sight greets her.

Every inch of the surrounding walls are covered in photos and objects. Ringo takes a step closer and she gasps from pure terror. Every single photo is of _her._ "Oh my god..." Ringo utters, unable to form any other words.

* * *

><p><strong>My god... This chapter was actually creepy to write, and considering I was on shuffle with my iPod and stumbled upon "Every Breath You Take" by the Police (which happened to be the perfect muse song for this O_O) and anyway, subscribe, favorite and review my lovelies *hearts**awards every future reviewer with homemade chocolate chip cookies* =3<strong>

**Anyway, if you don't know what a_ kotatsu_ is - it's a table that's set over recessed (sunken) flooring, it's a common feature in traditional houses. It's the equivalent of a dining table. Secondly, the How to Use It IV I put in this chapter is not the whole thing. There are three other rules that will reference themselves in another chapter. I get the rules from my own copies of the Death Note manga - and yes, I own my own Death Note tankōbon. :3**

**Love from Slushy ~  
><strong>


	5. Chapter Five

**AN: ****Anyway, I'm really not happy at my updating speed in the moment. Because my Naruto beta-reader (lollipops suck) is editing my Naruto fanfictions and I am writing my Death Note fanfic (on my own), I should be a lot faster at updating.**

**So to make up for taking three days to post Chapter Four, I have decided to try and attempt to speed things. I'm not sure if it'll work out well but hell, I'm going to try my best.**

****EDIT (19/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Five  
><strong>

Ringo couldn't get the feeling of dread in her heart to back down; it was plaguing her mind and driving her mad. She tries to turn and run but it's like her feet have been glued to the ground. She then gains the strength to turn her attentions away from the walls and looks at the study desk. There are several drawers. Ringo tiptoes over opening each draw carefully, searching for any evidence to prove Toshi guilty. But the police would've had a search warrant on his home and would've searched through here. This is like searching for a needle in a haystack, nigh impossible to put it simply. Maybe he has a hiding place, a trapdoor? She peels back a part of the tatami mat under his bed. Bingo, a loose plank!

She grips onto the end tightly, and lifts it up gently. She finds a shoe box underneath. Clever bastard. She tips off the lid. There's a manila folder inside, curiosity possesses her as her fingers curl around it and she holds it to her chest, mesmerized by the thought of what secrets could be hidden in this folder. Ringo decides to take the folder with her and hand it in to the police. He doesn't have a Death Note as far as Ringo knows. Ringo continues searching the room for anything that could relate to Hikaru's death, but she can't find anything.

Ryuk floats behind her, watching the girl with slight interest. "Ryuk... I know that you don't want to take sides but I need your help." Ringo pleads, she sounds a little worried. Ryuk cocks his head, listening intently to Ringo. For once, she is admitting she can't do things on her own, taking up this investigation on herself and risking her life.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Ryuk drones, rolling around in the air. Ringo genuinely looks scared.

"Can you feel the presence of another shinigami or do you know if there's another Death Note? _Please_ Ryuk, I really need to know." Ringo's voice trembles a little. She clutches the folder a little closer to her.

"There isn't another shinigami. Can I have an apple now?" Ryuk answers briskly. Bloody hell, the apples... Again? So far, Ringo's mission has failed and she still can't confirm if Toshi was responsible for Hikaru's death. Now that she knows Toshi is a prime suspect that could be responsible for Hikaru's murder but there is another disturbing thought in her mind. He's a stalker. How long has he been doing this for?

She carefully places the shoebox back under the plank, fastens the plank in place and tucks the tatami mat over the plank. She sneaks back into the living room and stealthily slips the manila folder into her canvas bag. Toshi is still asleep, he hasn't stirred and it's almost like he's in a coma.

She walks over on her tiptoes, and gently nudges Toshi to wake him up. Toshi rolls over in response, obviously wanting to go back to sleep, but he finally wakes up, looking at her solicitously. "Ringo, are you okay? You look like you've just seen Death." Toshi whispers, reaching to her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ringo says quietly. She nods to reassure him, he pulls her into another hug... Wow, he's a fan of hugging...

"You want to go home... Don't you?" He sounds hurt, like somebody's gone and crushed his heart in their fist. She almost feels guilty. "I'll take you home. It's too dangerous for you to go home on your own." Toshi says finally, pulling himself off the couch.

* * *

><p>He walks her down the lit streets, you can hear the traffic and urban noises of the central city in the distance, he remains overprotective of her, walking beside her, holding her close to him. Ringo sees that warehouse again. She shivers when she sees the faded kanji. It was an abattoir.<p>

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to keep you at my place until midnight..." Toshi says quietly, looking back behind them and then back to Ringo.

"It's okay, really." Ringo replies nonchalantly, but Toshi doesn't want to believe her.

"I'm really sorry. I must've fallen asleep like a log... I'm so sorry." He babbles on apologetically, sounding embarrassed. Well, he's kind of sweet in a fucked up way. He dedicated his whole room as some sort of shrine to her... Creepy yet admirable... But more creepy.

"Don't apologize... It's okay." Ringo says casually, she guides him onto her street, even if she knows he already knows where she lives... She wants to pretend this is some sick nightmare she's having but it's not easy to pretend when she knows it's all too real.

"Okay." Toshi says hesitantly, glancing back behind them. Ringo feels uneasy. He lives too close to her - it's very unsettling.

"This is my house. I'll see you tomorrow, okay Toshi-kun?" She asks, a reassuring smile on her face. Toshi seems reluctant to leave Ringo on her own, refusing to let go of her. "It's alright." She says gently. It only took those two words for him to let her go, he had a sad smile on his face as he turned away and faded into the night.

Ringo walks up her drive accompanied by Ryuk who is pestering her for more apples. She ignores him, today has both been heaven and hell and she honestly doesn't know what to make of it all. She puts her hands in her pockets and opens her front door. Fumbling around in the dark for the light switch, she finally finds it and the house is flooded with light. She is greeted with the loneliness she knows all too well.

She lives in solitude, used to living without limits and no excitable, yapping younger siblings. She's used to not being with her parents. Her father she seldom speaks to but her mother on the other hand, is always checking up on her via Facebook. She found her mother more receptive than her father because her mother always manages to find time for Ringo even if she can't pick up the phone sometimes.

The home phone rings, its ring tone obnoxiously loud and making Ringo's heart leap into her throat. Ringo scrambles over to the phone and picks up the phone. "Hello?" Ringo answers, hearing a relieved sigh on the other line.

"Ringo, it's your mother. You haven't picked up the phone when I called twice earlier today. I was very worried, are you okay?" The voice of Ringo's mother sounds like cool water to Ringo's ears. Ringo nods, then she knows that her mother wouldn't be able to see her nodding. Suddenly, she feels so dumb.

"I'm fine Mom. I was just out with Ayame... I'm sorry if I scared you Mom." Ringo replied sheepishly. There is a sigh of relief down the other line and Ringo feels the same relief. She feels humiliated that she missed the call from her mother. Her mother calls usually to tell her if she's coming home or not. Shit, she needs to send all her china to get repaired or her mother's going to have her head on a plate.

"Unfortunately, I was planning to come home next Friday but my boss has given me a new assignment so I won't be home for another two weeks. I'm so sorry honey. I know that you were expecting me next Friday..." Ringo's mother replies in a miserable tone. Ringo feels so bad. She had actually forgotten her mother was coming home to visit her and to have a break from work. Personally, Ringo thought that boss overworked her mother. Ringo would have his ear.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. Don't worry about it Mom. Your boss is just being mean as usual." Ringo says coolly, stifling a slight snicker. Her mother laughs at that comment, Ringo cracks a smile. It had been so long since she had spoken to her mother.

Her mother brought Ringo into the world when she was eighteen. Her mother was studying Law and Ringo wasn't planned. Her mother still managed to graduated with a law degree despite having to deal with the difficulty of raising a baby. Well, of course, Ringo's grandparents helped out by babysitting. So, it was a lot easier for Ringo's mother. Because her mother was younger, she and Ringo were very close and they understood and respected each other, being more like sisters than mother and daughter. Ringo cherished that kind of relationship with a parent.

"Well, I promise that I'll be back in two weeks, no more than two weeks. And I'll make up for the delay. I have to go now because I have to organize some papers but I'll call you whenever I can, alright? I love you, Ringo." Ringo's mother says affectionately. Ringo holds onto the phone, her heart feels like it's about to burst. Ringo hasn't seen her mother in so long, she doesn't even realize she's holding her breath.

"I love you too Mom. Goodnight, Mom." Ringo says fondly, somehow this night has turned from a nightmare into a somewhat better dream. She sits down on a chair by the dining room table, feeling all zen-like.

"Goodnight, Ringo." Her mother replies before she hangs up. Ringo puts the phone down and tries to think. Toshi is a stalker. She's uncovered some information which unfortunately wasn't what she was looking for.

Ringo opens the Death Note, eager to read the fifth page of rules. The more she finds out about these rules, the more she knows how to use this.

_HOW TO USE IT V:_

_1. A shinigami can extend their own life by putting a name on their own note, but humans cannot._  
><em>2. A person can shorten hisher own life by using the note._  
><em>3. The human who becomes the owner of the Death Note can, in exchange of half hisher remaining life, get the eyes of the shinigami which will enable him/her to see a human's name and remaining life span when looking through them._  
><em>4. A shinigami cannot be killed even if stabbed in his heart with a knife or shot in the head with a gun. However, there are ways to kill a shinigami, which are not generally known to the shinigami.<em>

Hm. So there _is_ a way to kill shinigami. Well, Ringo will have to research that. Ringo glances at the second rule again, balking slightly. Maybe using this thing is a bad idea - it would literally shorten her life. Ringo closes the Death Note and tucks it away, not wishing to sate the temptation to read more.

She looks over at the pile of broken china, she is going to send them to the best potter she can find. That china's precious to Ringo as well. Her mother's best friend gave it to her mother as a present to celebrate Ringo's birth and thus, that china is part of her inheritance. Many of Ringo's surrogate aunts were her mother's friends from university. As far as Ringo knew, there were four of them but Ringo hadn't yet met any of them.

She walks over to the couch and collapses onto it, too goddamn tired to think about little else than sleep. She has school tomorrow morning. There she'll see Ayame and Toshi. Her history teacher's in hospital and plans on retiring so they'd get a substitute. Damn...

For some reason, substitutes of that school have a pet hate for Ringo. They don't like her obsession with sweets or even when she attempts to help a girl next to her. In Maths and English, she sits next to the ditzy girl of the class and ends up having to do her work for her. It can be both a good thing (for helping her) and an utter pain in the ass (because the girl doesn't even try).

She sighs and drifts off to sleep, too tired to think or even change into her pajamas. Damn it.

* * *

><p><em>"Daddy!" A small girl squeaks. The pixie-sized toddler runs over to a taller figure, his face can't be seen, but he's in a dingy, cold and horrible enclosed space... It resembles much like of that as a prison cell. The father doesn't answer, but he acknowledges the girl's presence. There are two bulky guards standing by, ready to maul the man if he does one thing against protocol. There is a woman standing outside the cell, watching the scene sadly. Her face is blurred out, but her body language states that she's in sorrow.<em>

_The small girl clings onto her father for dear life. The father puts an arm around her, glancing to the guards. The guards clench tightly onto their nightsticks, watching like hawks. "Sweetheart," The father finally speaks and the girl looks up, still not being able to see her father's face._

_The girl feels like her little heart is breaking into pieces, crumbling down into piles of dust in her chest. __"Why are you here Daddy?" The girl asks softly. She looks up at her father, shadows over his face conceal his eyes. He doesn't respond to her question but his answer confuses the girl._

_"I still ask myself that question, sweetheart." He answers tersely, a bittersweet smile on his face._

* * *

><p>Ringo wakes up, that dream was confusing. She has no idea who the girl is, none of the characters are familiar to her and she doesn't know what the dream means. She can't even remember if they spoke in English or Japanese.<p>

The father was in a prison cell, all the faces were unrecognizable and blurred out and she knew that girl wasn't her because she didn't have red hair. The little girl's hair was black, black as night. Or maybe it was bad light? Could the girl be her mother? Her grandfather was in prison for a year because he was accused of arson but was released after her grandmother got him an appeal. Her grandfather was proven innocent and was kept under surveillance but eventually regained his freedom.

But why did she dream of her mother? She couldn't even know their conversation. How strange. She looks around the house, the lights are still on and she's astonished she managed to fall asleep with the lights on. She looks at her watch... 10:00 AM. "Oh. Ten o'clock..." Ringo says sleepily. Then it hits her. It's ten in the effing morning, on a school day. "Shit!" Ringo exclaims loudly, getting up with a start.

She struggles to get off the couch but falls to the floor on her face. Ryuk looks at her and laughs. "Good morning Ringo." Ryuk drawls in a mocking tone. Ringo ignores him, dashing back and forth between the living room and her bedroom. Why didn't her alarm clock on her watch go off? Damn it. Once her father finds out about this, he's going to be so _pissed_.

She thinks about the dream again while she's putting on her school uniform, her grandfather was still in his forties or fifties. He was in prison while her mother was four. That dream was her grandfather and mother... Or it could be someone else if she was wrong about the hair. But why the hell did she see that when she was never there? Strange. Her uniform is mainly composed of tan and black, the sailor shirt being tan, a black skirt and a red tie.

Once she was her uniform on, she grabs her canvas bag and bolts out the door, running like hell down the street. She curses under her breath the whole way, Ryuk laughing while he flies after her. If she wasn't too occupied trying to get to school, she would turn around and punch that shinigami's lights out. She reaches the school gates and runs into the main building. Now would be Math class. Her Math teacher is strict and hates Ringo's guts. This isn't going to go down well. She runs up the stairs, her lungs are about to give out but she keeps running, despite the aching pains in her chest.

She bursts into the classroom. Everyone then stares at her like she's killed fifty people with a sledgehammer. Is she actually covered in blood? Ringo glances down - it appears not. "Logan, sit down!" The Math teacher snaps, then she points to Ringo's desk. Ringo drags herself over to the seat and falls down backwards onto the seat. "Where on earth have you been? You are nearly two _hours_ late." The Math teacher demands, her sharp gaze fixed solely on Ringo. Ringo tries to think of a good excuse.

"About that... My alarm clock broke and..." Ringo replies slowly, so much for a believable excuse. The teacher doesn't seem to believe a word Ringo's saying, everyone is the room is staring at her, she's getting unwanted attention. "I swear that I didn't wag. I swear on the name of... calculus." Ringo says hesitantly, a myriad of snickers echo throughout the room.

"I think you did wag. Detention for a week." The Math teacher replies candidly, she turns back to the whiteboard. Ringo hates that teacher with a goddamned passion. Ryuk chuckles in amusement, it was fun seeing Ringo in such a fluster... But wait, what are detentions?

"Fuck my life..." Ringo mutters under her breath, earning attention from the teacher once again. Ayame stifles a laugh, nudging Ringo. Ayame is such a goody two-shoes - she's never gotten a detention in her life. Ringo's had enough for the both of them. But if teachers knew what Ayame was really like - she'd have plenty of detentions delivered to her on a gold platter.

"What did you say?" The teacher demands sharply. Ringo gulps loudly, she's sweating bullets now. That teacher is scary. Damn.

"... Nothin' miss." She says in a sickly sweet tone, batting her eyelashes innocently. She's melted the teacher's rage like butter. The teacher shrugs and turns away, resuming teaching the class about calculus. Ringo hates calculus. Even if she doesn't have much trouble with math, she still doesn't like it.

_Ringo, where the hell were you?_ A torn scrap of paper lands on her desk, it's from Ayame... Damn it.

She quickly scrawls a reply,_ Would you be pissed if I killed Ryuk?_ _And my watch didn't go off. That's were I was. _Ringo sweeps it in Ayame's direction.

Ayame looks at the note and rolls her eyes before writing on the note, _Yes, I would be pissed. Don't kill your emo clown. And fix your fucking watch; Toshi was on my case all morning. Speaking of Toshi, TELL ME EVERYTHING. _Right to the point - as usual with Ayame.

Ringo chews on her pen, thinking hard. She's out of sweets or chewing gum so she has nothing to chew on other than pens... And she doesn't like it. Pens tend to break and spill ink everywhere, and it is a pain to get rid of ink stains. _Well, I didn't find out much regarding Hikaru but Toshi has a shrine dedicated to me O_O' and he was really upset about Hikaru, and he totally scared me shitless. Seriously, he hugged me out of the blue and then kissed me... Though I will admit he is a good kisser. I found this folder in a hidey-hole, it's in my bag. _Ringo nudges the shred of paper in the right direction. Toshi is quietly paying attention to the lesson, or so it appears.

Ayame smirks curtly as she receives the note. Her smirk vanishes off the face of the planet once she starts reading it. _Christ alive... The shrine thing's kind of creepy... And show me that folder at lunch. And before I forget, holy crap, he kissed you? Fill me in at lunch! _Ringo nods acknowledging the note, the teacher's bound to spot them passing notes so they silently agree to meet up at lunch.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew, that was once again, a kind of creepy chapter...<strong>

**So, since there are about 65 different rule chapters, I'm not going to write all of them. I'll only write the ones that are relevant, or simply important for the reader to remember while reading this. :)**

**Goodnight, from Slushy-chan ~**


	6. Chapter Six

**AN: Hey, wazzup peeps? It's Slushy again here to post the awaited sixth chapter... I've just come back from reading a few Death Note fanfictions and I'm in a good mood.** **So I'll come straight to the point... Cookie-chan, once again... You're awesome.**

**Secondly, I'm going to be terribly busy this week doing my homework assigned to me over the holidays, so I may or may not have time to write any more chapters. Lastly... I will give you Chapter Seven this week (when I'm free) after this however I won't hand over Chapter Eight unless I get at least five good reviews.** **That is all. =3 Enjoy my lovelies ~**

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added some more dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Six**

"Okay, spill the beans." Ayame demands loudly, sipping at her carton of milk. Ringo crosses her arms, they were sitting in the school cafeteria and Ayame was acting all dramatic and detective-like. Ringo wasn't very happy with that, and snapped.

"Ayame, cut the dramatic crap please." Ringo snaps in reply. Ringo then realizes she was out of line and backs down. "Sorry. That was mean. I am damn tired. I had this weird dream and it disturbed me... I don't think I'll be able to sleep. That dream was so weird, it's kind of scaring me." Ringo says softly, shaking her head to dislodge the thought. Ringo shudders at the memory, that dream with her grandfather and mother was creepy. It was almost like she was watching the scene and she could vividly feel her mother's emotions. It seemed almost real.

"What was your dream?" Ayame inquires nosily, prodding at her lunch tray with her chopsticks. Ayame's parents were an unusual pair: her father works as a pathologist and occasionally as a mortician and her mother as a psychologist. Ayame however is nothing like her parents. Sure, in Biology, she can cope with dissecting cow's eyes and frogs but it still makes her feel dizzy at the sight of blood. Ayame seems tough but every human being has a fear, meaning Ayame is no different.

"This man was inside this cell and there was this little girl, I think it was his daughter. It probably would've been a visitation day." Ringo replies fretfully, glancing down at her lunch. Suddenly, her appetite's gone. Ringo's jaw locks up; she doesn't want to remember it. The dream was a mere fragment; dreams are conjured by the human mind composed mainly of images, ideas, emotions, memories and sensations. But if she wasn't there, why did she see it?

"Okay, do you have any idea who the people were?" Ayame asks coolly, swallowing a mouthful of rice. Ringo shakes her head, even if she thought it was her grandfather and mother, she's uncertain now.

"No, I didn't know any of them. I didn't recognize any of their voices." Ringo replies jumpily, clutching onto her milk carton for dear life. Ayame gives her a strange look, so Ringo lessens her grip.

"Well, this is my personal opinion. Dreams can convey almost anything even if it isn't real or if you weren't present at the event." Ayame says nonchalantly. Ringo gestures for her to go on. "Dreams can't be controlled by the human mind, so the dream can be conjured up of pretty much anything." Ayame continues evenly, not missing a beat with her words. Ringo glances at her friend. Ayame's skilled at hiding her emotions - well, having a psychologist for a parent has taught her a lot.

"So, why am I seeing things I've never seen before in my life?" Ringo asks, a tingue of anxiety in her voice. Ringo snatches up the milk carton and takes a sip. The milk is cool, and beads of water drip off the carton.

"Dreams can have varying natures which means they can be nightmares, memories, adventurous dreams... or in your case, completely out of the norm such as an event that occurred when you weren't there." Ayame answers quietly, her gaze transfixed on the school grounds outside the window.

That actually makes sense. Ringo figures that this dream could just be a muddled mess her brain spat out. It's probably something her mind made up. In Psychology, Ayame's class had studied dreams the previous year so Ringo believes what Ayame's telling her. Ayame's giving her textbook answers. "It's all just a muddled mess. It's probably nothing at all." Ringo answers blithely, no feathers appear to be ruffled anymore.

"It is probable that what happened in that dream your mind made up. Don't worry about it for now." Ayame answers soothingly. "It could be a fragment and a train of more bizarre dreams could follow, but I think it's just the one dream. Keep me informed if not." Ayame says, closing her bento box and slides it back in bag. Ringo doesn't even want to imagine another dream like this will happen again. She wants to keep the thought from her mind but her attempts are futile.

"Thanks Ayame. I haven't seen what's in the folder yet so expect for the worst." Ringo says in a deranged tone. Ringo puts her canvas bag on her lap and opens the flap, picking up the folder with shaking hands. She drops it on the table and then ponders. "So, who wants to open it?" Ringo asks calmly. She can feel all the breath escape from her.

After five minutes of itching suspense, Ringo opens it herself. The manila folder has one single document... Something that looks like a birth certificate. "What the hell? Ringo, why the hell is your name on this?" Ayame exclaims out of the blue. Ringo snatches the document from Ayame's hands.

"I have no idea." Ringo replies, she sounds shaken. Her name is printed in capital letters, her full name. _Ringo Marie ... _Giving Ringo a middle name was probably a choice of her paternal grandparents. Japanese people don't usually give their children middle names.

"Ringo, that isn't your surname..." Ayame trails off, her gaze is glued to this piece of yellowed paper. Ringo looks at her name again, astounded. Ayame's right, that isn't her surname. The surname has been censored out but the censor line is longer than the expected print line for 'Logan'. Does this mean her surname is fake?

"This has to be fake. I've seen my birth certificate. It has my real surname on it." Ringo says in disbelief. This has to be some kind of joke. Ayame snatches the birth certificate back and scans down the page. The question on Ringo's mind. Where the hell did Toshi get his hands on this?

"Yeah, your dad's name isn't on the father's field. It's been censored out but I'm certain that Robin Logan isn't under that." Ayame says, tracing her finger along the censor line. "I'll tell you one thing. This is a strange document. You should take it somewhere to have it checked if it's real." Ayame continues, her eyes flicking up to meet Ringo's own. "Toshi is fucking creepy... Who keeps a girl's birth certificate in his house other than her parents? You need to have a serious discussion with your mother." Ayame whispers, glancing down to the table.

"This is staggering. If this document is real. Robin Logan isn't my father. But if it's fake, this is seriously fucked up." Ringo utters, her face is ashen. She cups her face in her hands. Ayame nods in agreement, looking at the document once again. "If that document is real, I'm probably going to be thinking... Who the hell is my real father?" Ringo mumbles, staring at her feet.

"I'll give this to my dad. He is a pathologist but he is like a goddamned sage. He knows everything. If he knows how to uncensor it and confirm if it's real, then he's the person to go to." Ayame replies, folding her arms on the table. She gives Ringo a reassuring smile. Ringo hands over the folder, she trusts Ayame with her life. "Don't worry, my dad's still investigating Hikaru's death which means he's got Toshi under surveillance. Knowing Toshi, he's going to be too paranoid to even check if this folder's missing." Ayame says, a comforting hand now on Ringo's shoulder.

"Okay. But until then, please try to uncensor it. Don't leave me in suspense." Ringo replies, a playful grin on her face. Ayame chuckles and slips the folder into her bag. Toshi is sitting at the other end of the cafeteria, so he wouldn't be able to see what's going on. Ryuk is outside, as usual, eating an apple. Ayame donated her apple to him because he was beginning to get signs of withdrawal. That was not a pretty sight.

* * *

><p>Toshi walks over to Ringo and Ayame's table, sitting down much to the protest of Ayame. He can't be damned listening to Ayame, he's only here for Ringo. He knows more about Ringo than Ringo herself knows. But he isn't planning on sharing those secrets anytime soon. "Hey babe." He says, casually sliding in closer to Ringo. Ayame's glare was dreadful but it didn't even make Toshi flinch. Toshi rolls his eyes - my, isn't she just terrifying?<p>

"What the hell do you want?" Ayame rudely demands but once again, Toshi disregards her. "Toshi, you can't just... Goddamn it." Ayame hisses under her breath. Ayame knows that Toshi is deliberately ignoring her and gives up.

"Ummm... Hi, Toshi?" Ringo greets awkwardly. Oh, she's just too precious. Ringo is behaving unusually, though. His eyes focus on Ayame's satchel, his eyes widen when he sees the corner of a manila folder poking out of the satchel. His mind goes into panic. Ringo must've found it. Oh shit.

He has to swipe it and burn it. What a pain. He looks at Ringo, she must know everything. He has to do something. He doesn't want to kill her. That's the last resort. Then what the fuck is he going to do?

"Ringo, can I talk to you?" Toshi asks, keeping a cool composure. Be as cool as a cucumber, Toshi. He has a bottle of sodium pentothal in his back pocket, if she takes the bait and is lured to an isolated place, he can jab her. Sodium pentothal is a strong barbiturate, it can be used for interrogation as a truth serum and it can trigger partial amnesia. However, he'll have to do the same with Ayame and Ayame doesn't trust him one bit. This is such a nuisance. _Really_.

"Ummmm... Okay." Ringo answers, her tone is wary. He walks out of the cafeteria... Good, Ringo's following him. He leads her to an isolated place, the birth certificate in that folder is of little importance. There are other documents in his possession and because that certificate is only a miniscule fragment of that vital information, it'll lead them to nowhere. He's made sure of that.

He's slowly picking off everyone that knows the truth. One is dead, one is never going to tell and four are alive. But Ayame and Ringo are cunning and he needs to find a way to divert their attentions away from the document, just to be safe.

He leads her out onto the grassy area, near the shade of a tree. "Ringo... Forgive me." Toshi whispers apologetically. Before she can process what he just told her, he pins her to the tree and drawing the needle from his pocket, he jabs it in her neck. Her eyes widen with shock as he retracts the needle and presses a finger against the puncture wound to stop the bleeding. The drug is starting to take effect. "Ringo... I want you to tell me how you found the folder." Toshi asks gently, slowly removing pressure from the puncture point.

"While you were asleep... I sneaked around your house and I found the folder. There were so many pictures on the walls." Ringo replies in a dazed tone, staring up at the sky dreamily. Toshi's plans were nearly ruined. She will never work out the truth of him again. She appears to be dazed, she's not speaking anymore. He releases her as she staggers back to the direction of the cafeteria. One down, one to go.

* * *

><p>Ringo's mind is in muddles. She can't even think straight, she feels morose and nauseous. The cafeteria is spinning around her and she can't even take another step forward. She wants to throw up but she can't. "Ringo, are you okay?" Ayame's voice sounds muffled, she can barely hear anything. Ringo's legs collapse beneath her and Ringo crashes to the ground, bringing a lunch tray on a neighboring table with her.<p>

"Nghhhhh..." Ringo groans loudly, food is scattered around her on the floor. She has a pounding headache that simply won't relent.

"Holy crap. Ringo, stop it, you're scaring me!" Ayame sounds like she's mumbling. She frantically tries to keep Ringo awake but Ringo's eyelids begin to close over her eyes. "Ringo! Ringo, damn it! Don't black out!" Ayame chides frantically, holding onto her shoulders. Ringo feels so sick, so numb. She can almost feel herself dying inside. What was in that needle? LSD?

The nausea the nausea the nausea. It was unbearable. Ringo's mind was racing. She struggled to stand up but her legs were far too weak, the tables around her were sharp, bright colors. Crawling to a nearby table, her head banged against the table but she couldn't feel anything.

"Sttt-stupid table..." Ringo mumbled, only awake because of the feeling of sickness keeping her conscious. Pushing herself to her knees she fell back down, her legs too weak to hold her up.

"Ringo, stay awake." Ayame says firmly, kneeling beside her friend. Ayame tries to keep her friend upright, but Ringo's body feels like heavy weights.

"I'm s-s-sorry b-but can you please h-h-help me?" Ringo stuttered, her eyesight was starting to blur. Why was the world spinning? Ringo lifted her left arm to her head, in an effort to slow the world down. "S-so sorry..." Ringo slurred, a dazed smile n her face. And just like that, Ringo fell to the linoleum ground on her face blacked out from the sickness. Was she going to die? She hoped not.

It was black. Like someone had blown out the stars, like they were candles and the moon was hidden behind black storm clouds. In short, it was really, really dark. Ringo's mind was slow. The neural connections that paved the way for thoughts felt like they'd been dipped in mud and her thoughts were sluggish. But of course, she couldn't feel them. She couldn't feel anything, actually.

Ringo sees the sixth page of the Death Note floating in front of her. Ringo recalls reading this earlier today, but she can't recall when. The words float around her. _The conditions for death will not be realized unless it is physically possible for that human or it is reasonably assumed to be carried out by that human. _The words are muddled, and mixed up. Ringo can hardly comprehend her surroundings.

_The specific scope of the condition for death is not known to the Shinigami, either. So, you must examine and find out. _Ringo hears her own voice speaking, it's muffled and slow. Ringo blinks, everything has slowed down. Ringo tries to move her hand, she can see blurring.

It was almost like she was floating, but she couldn't tell if there was ground beneath her feet, or even if she was lying down or standing. Was this what dying felt like? Death even? Because if this was the only thing to do for all for eternity, it was looking rather bleak. If her mind could speed up enough to feel emotion. And the idea of living (she'd think of a better word for it later) through this forever was looking pretty dull.

"Someone, call an ambulance!" An unfamiliar voice yells, feeling so distant.

She could hear other voices following now but she couldn't pick up on what they were saying, it was all too fast and the voices were hurting her head... wait... Hurting? That meant she was alive didn't it? Because she was pretty sure death was supposed to be painless. If she can feel, this means she's still alive. Of course it couldn't really be proved but people couldn't be completely wrong right? Even though there had never been proof or anything. Ringo would've closed her eyes, but she couldn't tell if they were open or not.

She kept still and tried to listen, the distorted voices became clearer, and suddenly instead of being surrounded by black, dark red and the latticework of the veins behind her eyelids welcomed Ringo, whom was still unable to muster the strength to open her eyes. The sensation of being lifted up onto something barely registered in some still dead-to-the-world part of her brain. Ringo felt herself start to lapse back into unconsciousness. Finally, the blackness rushed up to engulf her again.

* * *

><p>Ringo awoke in unfamiliar surroundings, everywhere was white and obnoxiously blinding. Ringo squeezes her eyes shuts and opens them, afraid to close her eyes again. Is this Purgatory? No... She can see people. Her eyesight is blurry and she can't even see the peoples' faces. She can't get up, her body's not responding to her commands. Those drugs really fucked her up. "Is she dead Daddy?" A little boy says questioningly, but she can't comprehend who it is.<p>

Then finally, her body responds. She bolts up, her eyes snap open. She looks at her surroundings, panicked thoughts engulfing her mind and blocking out her logic and sense of surroundings. "WHERE AM I?" She cries out loudly, she's too frightened to think of what else to say. Someone pins her arms down, but she kicks and screams. "No! No! Let me go!" Ringo screams frantically, thrashing and struggling with all her regained strength.

"Calm down, Ringo." Her mother says gently, her grip is unbelievably strong. She's still frightened and spasms a little to try and free herself from her restraints.

"No! Let me go!" Ringo cries, writhing and pushing against her mother's weight. It's almost staggering how strong her mother is - who happens to work a desk job and the most weight she pulls is stacking papers.

"Ringo, calm down." Her mother's voice is soothing. Ringo is calmed instantaneously by the sound of her mother's voice and stops fighting back and struggling. "You collapsed at school today. Someone drugged you with sodium pentothal and you nearly died. It was an overdose. Your heart freaked out." Ringo's mother continues, her voice is blank.

Ringo freezes up. She doesn't feel any different. She can only remember bits and pieces of today's events. There is an IV drip in her arm which was probably used to flush out the drugs. There are tubes inside her nostrils to help her breathe. What the hell happened to her? "No, no... That can't be right! I can't have been drugged." Ringo protests, tears streaking down her cheeks. Her chest rises and falls with her unsteady breaths.

"Ayame told me that you found something regarding your birth certificate. I need to tell you something. Ringo... Robin Logan is not your father." Her mother says slowly, her light brown eyes fixed upon Ringo's stunned face.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooooooooooh, this chapter was fun to write. Teehee, though Toshi is my OC, I have a love-hate thing for him. He's sweet but seriously screwed up in the head... Yes, well, subscribe, review (most preferred option) and favorite and do what you like.<strong>

**Bye bye, Slushy~**


	7. Chapter Seven

**AN:** Today I am feeling blue... Ironically, my monitor screen has turned bright fricking blue and I haven't got a clue why. When I searched up for a remedy on Google... This was the one thing Google couldn't answer XDX  
>So, I'm slightly afraid that my computer is going to freak out. If I can't update for a few days, you'll know why... BLUE SCREEN OF DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH. end prima donna****

**But moving on... From my experience with computers, it's just probably because on of the wires is screwed over (it's a PC) and it should be repaired relatively easily on it's own. If not... I have no idea what'll happen. Though I have to admit that a blue-tinted computer screen is kind of cool.)  
><strong>

**So, besides having a blue screen and a sore left hand (I regret writing kanji for hours now), I'm pretty much content. And, since this is the seventh chapter, I want at least five good reviews before I give you Chapter Eight... And also, I'm happy to answer any questions just as long as it doesn't involve me spilling too much a spoiler. (I MIGHT spill a little teehee ;) )**

**Oh no, it's another long A/N, I'm going to cut myself short. Enjoy ~**

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Seven**

Ringo stares at her mother wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights. What the hell is going on? There is a blaring beeping noise. Her mother looks down at a pager in her hand, "Damn it, my boss wants me to go back to work. Got to go." Her mother sighs, her face twisted in irritation. Ringo looks at her dismayed, her mother's deliberately keeping her in suspense.

"That was cruel." Ringo utters softly, reaching out to her. Her mother seems to be miles away. Her mother smirks in an all-knowing way before she stands up off the chair beside Ringo's hospital bed. She's in high heels, towering over Ringo. Ringo feels so small.

"Sorry, you'll have to wait for two weeks before you see me again." Ringo's mother says, an uncharacteristically malevolent smirk on her face. Why Mother why? Ringo is itching to find out who her real father is. The desire to find out is slowly killing her inside.

"Why are you being so cruel? Why are you tantalizing me like this?" Ringo whispers in a wounded tone, tears start to spill down her cheeks. Why is her mother saying these things, why is she acting like this? Ringo wished she had the answers to these questions.

Her mother's smirk fades. "Look, it's just best that you never find out. It's for your own good." Ringo's mother says softly, her face looks so despairing, as if she wanted to tell her but something held her back.

"Gods, that phrase irritates me." Ringo growls under her breath, crossing her arms. Her life would be rather bland if there was no suspense, no danger or risk-taking.

"Ringo, I'll know if you try to dig anything up so I want you to drop it." Her mother says candidly, her hands on her hips. Ringo feels strange, this doesn't seem real. Then there's always the time when you have to wake up.

* * *

><p>Ringo returns to the real world, she swore that was real, "Fuck! Why did I wake up?" Ringo cries loudly in frustration, banging her head against the stretcher underneath her. She looks up at the ceiling, only it isn't really a ceiling. It's a roof of a car, or rather, a van. She hears a siren blaring overhead. She's in an ambulance, there are people surrounding her. Strangers, friends, shinigami... no family.<p>

"Well for starters, if you didn't wake up, I'd be pissed as hell! Who the hell else would sit at the mall with me and claim hot guys?" Ayame answers her question, an irritated expression bubbling on her face.

"And argue over who was the hottest." Ringo replies, clutching her aching head. Gods, it hurts everywhere. Wasn't sodium pentathol an anaesthetic? So why the hell does it hurt all of a sudden? Ryuk floats overhead, having no care in the world.

"Jeez, Toshi gave you one hell of a drug. You blacked out three times in a row and kept saying random shit." Ayame says, shaking her head. Ringo is mortified beyond measure. What sort of things did she say? "You've been hallucinating too, saying shizz like 'TELL ME WHO MY FATHER IS DAMN IT!', to name a quote. Did Toshi give you crack?" Ayame asks, arching an inquistive eyebrow.

"How the hell do you expect me to know, it was this clear fluid and it made me sick, that's all I know!" She slurs back angrily, damn it, her mind is so slow, it's affecting her speech now and making her mood swing back and forth between blithe and fury...

"Ah. Vodka. That shit is bad for you. It's good with strawberry though... Though I'm never, ever letting you near a bottle of vodka, ever! Not that you had a bottle, but I forbid you from touching vodka again." Ayame reprimands her, shaking a finger at Ringo. The ambulance staff stare at Ayame, baffled by the strange words that come from her mouth.

"It wasn't vodka. It was sodium pentathol." A staff member pipes up, checking on Ringo's IV drip. Ayame rolls her eyes at the staff member that pointed out the drug that Toshi jabbed Ringo with. Ayame ignores the staff member, obviously not caring that he made a correct point.

"When I get my hands on him..." Ayame hisses, she's talking about Toshi... Toshi is nowhere to be seen, obviously staying away from the ambulance to keep his head out of trouble. Maybe he felt guilty.

"Ayame, what are you going to do?" Ringo breaks the silence, her eyes gaze at Ayame. This isn't going to end up so nicely. Ringo gazes at Ayame, expecting an answer.

"Toshi is not going to believe what's going to happen to him next. Even while it's happening. He's going to wish he was never born." Ayame hisses, not caring who is listening. "Should I maim him psychologically or physically? Hmmmm... I like the sound of psychologically." Ayame is serious, the tone of her voice and her body language clearly states that she's pissed.

"Never mind him; my braincells are goddamn dying here! Give them CPR!" Ringo is still tipsy, and is blurting out things involuntarily. Damn, damn damn! "WOOT, WOOT, WOOT, FRUIT IN THE HOUSE!" Ringo blurts out, bursting into hysterics. What the fuck did she just say? This drug, whatever it's doing, it's a goddamn catastrophe within itself. "Urghhhhh... It's been a complete catastrofuck today..." Ringo whines, covering her face in shame.

"I concur." Ayame says, shaking her head in frustration. "This stuff is messed up." Ayame sighs, clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction. The ambulance staff watch the two, unsure of what to make of their conversation. Some people can be so weird. "Fuck me..." Ayame sighs, shaking her head again.

"Sorry, I don't swing that way Ayame." Ringo replies, a playful smirk on her face. She's attempting to cheer the dreary atmosphere up. "But I'm sure you'll find your soulmate someday. However, bring him to me first so I can inspect for drugs in his back pockets or whatever..." Ringo adds, a fairly serious tenor to her voice, but they both know it's a joke. Ayame cracks up at that, nearly falling forward on Ringo.

"Gods, you sound like my uncle! My uncle, the cop! Well, I called my dad. He's going to come over to the hospital and I'll give him the folder. I think Toshi knew I had it so I am passing it on to my Dad." Ayame says coolly, taking Ringo's hand. Ringo nods uncertainly, she knows now to never underestimate that slippery bastard again.

"I'm just joking, Ayame. I'm sure you'll do the same for me when I get a boyfriend." Ringo replies, playfully punching Ayame on the shoulder. Both start giggling like drunken school girls. The staff members roll their eyes. Bloody teenagers.

Ringo feels nauseous, but worse than before. "Oh shit. Hey, get a bucket, quick!" Ayame blurts out to the staff, but Ayame was a split second too late. Ayame quickly grabs a hold of Ringo's hair, holding it back. Ringo throws up all over herself, emptying out her stomach. She retches but she can't vomit anymore. "Tanaka Toshi... Your death is imminent." Ayame hisses, reaching for a box of tissues. Ayame gently mops her friend up, wiping the mess away.

Ringo moans morosely and leans back, gasping for air. Her mouth is filled with the vile taste of hydrochloric acid and bile and she sucks air in to try and get rid of the taste. No such luck so far. The smell makes her want to vomit again, she heaves but yet again, she can't throw up. One of the staff members gives her a bottle of water. Ringo accepts it with a swipe of her hand and haphazardly pours water into her mouth and down her front.

"Damn... You poor thing..." A staff member mutters, helping Ayame mop her up. Ringo feels weak and frail, her arms quiver as they hold her upper body upright and she barely has the strength to stay awake.

"Don't you dare black out again." Ayame reprimands sharply, taking a hold of Ringo's hand. Ringo shakes her head, why is she so feeble? She can't barely comprehend that she's in an ambulance, this drug has made her so qualmish and humiliated beyond compare.

* * *

><p>Ringo hates hospital food, she remembers being here because of her broken ankle and the hospital food here is capable of killing you. She pushes the tray away, rejecting it for her own good. She's afraid that if she eats again, that drug will make her throw up again. It's not the actual drug itself, but the dizziness and nausea that drug triggered is what made her so ill. Despite knowing that, she's still afraid to eat.<p>

Ayame is sitting at her bedside, refusing to leave Ringo's side despite knowing she has school tomorrow and it's midnight. Visitation hours were over long ago, and the nurse was pestering Ayame to leave but Ayame refused to budge. "That quisling bastard." Ayame muttered, glaring out the window. Ringo has an IV drip because she's rejected food and to flush out the remainder of the drug in her body. Ringo has never gotten drunk before but this feels like what a hangover would be.

The doctors told her that the drug was overdosed and that she nearly died, and she was fortunate to get to the hospital in time otherwise she could've been even worse. She sighs miserably. They plan to discharge her the tomorrow, keeping her here overnight and during the day to make sure the drug won't cause any more mother called and said she would come home early. She would be there to take Ringo home when she is discharged.

Thank the gods she sent that china to the potter. The potter is going to deliver them back to the house tomorrow morning. Ayame's already agreed to drop by and put them back in the cupboard for Ringo.

Ryuk perches on the end of the hospital bed, eating the apple that went with Ringo's long-cold dinner. Ayame's father walks into the ward, the ward doors close behind him with an echoing _bang-thump._

Ayame's father is holding the manila folder in his hands and his face looks sits down from the opposite side of his daughter, on Ringo's right. "I have good news and I've got bad news: what do you wanna hear first?" Her father says slowly, his fingers curl tightly around the folder. His eyes hold uncertainty.

"We might as well go with bad news first, Dad." Ayame sighs, her father nods in agreement and holds his breath, as if he's going to say something completely out of the blue.

"The bad news is that the certificate's real, the one Ringo's step-father has is a fake or a modified copy. Either way, the certificate Robin Logan has is not the real birth certificate." Ayame's father says finally, opening the folder. He shows another copy of the birth certificate, the uncensored version.

"Okay, Dad. So, who is it? Who's her daddy?" Ayame replies disquietly, her eyes fixed on the birth certificate. Her father glances at her, his dark eyes are blank. This isn't a good sign.

"The name in the father's field is a pseudonym. I have searched the Los Angeles database and found no birth certificates, no death certificates or car registrations under that name. We have a John Doe to put it simply." Her father answers quietly, closing the manila folder. Ringo's face falls in despair.

"Well, did you find a signature match, or anything?" Ayame asks in an insistent tone, her eyes boring into her father's own. Her father shakes his head sadly.

"Since the signature is also fake, it is going to be extremely difficult to find out who John Doe is. The surname Ringo was given is the John Doe's pseudonym surname so of course, half of her name remains fake." Her father admits, finally closing the folder and setting it aside.

"... Damn." Ayame says in disappointment, glancing at her friend. Ringo's heart sinks down to stomach-level. Now that she knows that Robin Logan isn't her father, the man she grew up and believed to be her father was only pretending to be. Why?

"I can't do any genetic tests to find out either because I do not have any sample whatsoever of John Doe's DNA. There's not even a trace of a fingerprint on the certificate. I found Yūmi's fingerprints, a.k.a the mother's DNA but the father's DNA? Nada. Clearly, this guy doesn't want to be found." Ayame's father replies, he sounds frustrated as well.

"So, there's absolutely no chance in finding out who he is?" Ringo asks, her eyes flick down towards her hands. After all this, she's never going to find out the truth?

"No, there's definitely a chance but chances of finding out who he is are very bleak even with my help. Yūmi, however, will probably not spill the beans. She's kept a cleverly hidden secret for quite a while now." Ayame's father replies, his tone is grim. Ringo's face settles. Yūmi is Ringo's mother's name, Ringo used to call her mother by name but she dropped the habit.

"I guess I'll have to accept it. I'm never going to know the truth." Ringo says, folding her knees up to her chest. Ayame and her father are silent, regarding eachother in silence.

"However, I could be wrong. Perhaps Yūmi was involved with both men at different but close time frames. Either man is possible of being Ringo's father." Ayame's father speaks up, glancing between his daughter and Ringo.

"So, basically, I'm still going to ask myself the same question my whole life?" Ringo replies bitterly, she can feel the tears swell in her eyes. Her mother is never going to admit this to her. She takes these kinds of secrets to the grave.

"Yūmi may have accepted John Doe as being Ringo's father however Robin may have intervened. There are endless possibilities." Ayame's father says gently, tucking something in his jacket pocket. "Either of the ways, I think it's most likely that Ringo's biological father is John Doe, and not Robin Logan." Ayame's father concludes, getting up from his chair.

"Shit, so Ringo may never know unless her mother tells her. If her mom's kept that secret from Ringo for so long, she isn't going to speak up anytime soon. She deliberately kept that secret from Ringo, for some reason." Ayame mutters, looking at Ringo. Ayame's father nods in agreement and holds onto the folder.

"I'll keep the folder safe. This case is quaint. It intrigues me... If that Toshi boy had this folder, then obviously he must already know a lot more about John Doe than I do." Ayame's father says, placing the folder in his briefcase.

"I suppose it's safer with you. Toshi won't dare go after you - it's too much of a risk for him to take." Ringo remarks, picking up the Styrofoam cup of water on the bedside table beside her. She takes a sip and sets it back down.

"We won't bother your mother about John Doe, its best that she doesn't know about this." Ayame's father replies, clutching onto the briefcase. His eyes dart to the doorway. He could've sworn he saw a shadow. He peers closer. No. It was nothing. "If I find more information regarding this folder, it'll close two cases with one stone." Ayame's father concludes, he then walks down the hallway.

Ayame farewells her friend in silence, and follows her father down the hall.

Little does the group know that they are being watched.

Toshi lurks in the hallway. As soon as he sees the Nakamuras heading in his direction, he slips away into the darkness. His blue surgeon's uniform obscures him in the dark halls. It was easy to obtain a job in this hospital - Toshi has qualifications under another name. So, they are starting to unravel it all. The truth about Ringo.

Toshi's lips twist into an all-knowing smirk. They won't get far.

* * *

><p><strong>*blinks* Whoa. *blinks again* This blue screen is so blinding and unbearable... I have to get it fixed :(<br>Well, subscribe, favorite and start reviewing if you want to see more ~  
>See you for now Slushy ~<br>**


	8. Chapter Eight

**AN:**** Today, I closed the poll and I got good results. All votes told me to continue this fanfiction so I will. **So to quote, to hell with discontinuing it, damn the lack of muse and write! So this may be a short POV but hey, at least it's short (for once!)****

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Eight  
><strong>

Ringo looks across at the cold meal left for her... How did this happen again? She couldn't remember... Why couldn't she remember anything? Ever since she woke up this morning, everything from the past three days was blank. She holds the Death Note in her hands, everyone else in the ward is asleep so she's the one who has to remain awake.

She takes the time to do more research. It's better to know how this thing is used than to know nothing at all. Ringo flicks open a page, settling on the seventh and eighth sections of the rules.

_HOW TO USE IT VII_

_1. One page taken from the Death Note, or even a fragment of the page, contains the full effects of the note._  
><em>2. The instrument to write with can be anything, ((e.g. cosmetics, blood, etc.)) as long as it can write directly onto the note and remains as legible letters.<br>__3. Even the original owners of Death Note, shinigami, do not know much about the note._

Hmh. So much for asking Ryuk more about this thing. Ringo will have to learn what she can from these rules. Ringo carefully tears out two pages, folding them over and tearing the pages into quarters. It's probably wise to take pieces with her. She won't have to worry about writing utensils because she can salvage anything from anywhere. Ringo glances down at the Death Note, scanning her yes along the rule page.

_HOW TO USE IT VIII_

_1. You may also write the cause and/or details of death prior to filling in the name of the individual. Be sure to insert the name in front of the written cause of death. You have about 19 days (according to the human calendar) in order to fill in a name._  
><em>2. Even if you do not actually possess the Death Note, the effect will be the same if you can recognize the person and hisher name to place in the blank._

Ringo's eyebrows tent slightly. Well, the first rule does make it easier to use as does the second, but it's very unsettling to think of letting someone else use them in her place. Ringo will have to keep this Death Note well away from Ayame, or anyone else for that matter. Ringo carefully shuts the Death Note again, concealing it under her pillow.

Before she can settle and let sleep take her, Ringo sees a black oblong half concealed in darkness. She gets out of bed, her legs quivering under her weight. She's been bed-bound for quite a while and her legs are numb. She ambles towards the object, and picks it up. Death Note is written in neat katakana on the front. Ringo stifles a snort. A Death Note? Another one, seriously? Do those omnipresent beings called gods hate her that much? How ironic that they dropped this thing in a hospital. She picks it up carefully, expecting a shinigami to be standing right in front of her. But alas, Ryuk is the only one here. Good.

She's been scared half to death once, she doesn't want to know what happens if you get scared half to death twice. "Shinigami usually appears in front of you within 39 days after you use the Death Note. It appears the other shinigami is taking their time. Check the fourth section." Ryuk mentions, appearing beside her in the darkness.

Ringo flicks open the new Death Note. The whole thing is written in Japanese. Ringo shrugs, she can read it just as well as she can read English.

_HOW TO USE IT IV:  
><em>  
><em>1. The person in possession of the Death Note is possessed by a shinigami, its original owner, until they die.<em>  
><em>2. If a human uses the note, a shinigami usually appears in front of himher within 39 days after he/she uses the note._  
><em>3. Shinigami, the original owners of the Death Note, do not do, in principle, anything which will help or prevent the deaths in the note.<em>  
><em>4. A shinigami has no obligation to completely explain how to use the note or rules which will apply to the human who owns it unless asked.<em>

Ringo fumes, so if shinigami don't have to appear straight away, Ryuk deliberately showed up straight away? "So, basically, you showed up straight away because you wanted to scare me?" Ringo replies quietly, clutching onto the Death Note. She wants to hound on him but unfortunately, there's other people here. It would be wise not to wake anyone else in the ward up.

Ringo begins creeping back over to her bed. If patients aren't in bed, they miss out on fruit cups which is the only edible food in the hospital. Ringo doesn't want to lose that fruit cup, she doesn't like the idea of food that's been boiled for over three hours. The very thought of it makes Ringo's skin _crawl. _

"No, I just wanted to start off with the entertainment early, though yes, it's fun to scare you." Ryuk answers, his Glasglow grin widens. Ringo grimaces slightly. Ringo is dissatisfied with his answer, Ryuk is using her as his pin cushion for the sake of self-entertainment. Ringo needs to go back to school soon, in History, they're doing shinigami mythology. If they're talking about shinigami, maybe she'll work out a way to kill Ryuk. Even if Ayame kills her for killing 'the emo clown'.

"I'm going to go to bed... I swear if you wake me up before midday, I'm going to twist your head around 360° until it pops right off." Ringo warns, her brown eyes flash dangerously. Ryuk balks. She has a terrifying glare for a human. Ringo then pulls the covers up and slips under them, cocooning herself in scratchy blankets. It's not a particularly warm night for summer and for once, she doesn't care about itchy blankets.

She closes her eyes and tries to go to sleep. Broken memories flash before her, she groans and covers her face with the pillow to plunge herself into sweet darkness. Can't she have one minute of sleep without seeing that needle flying in the air towards her neck? Wel, not exactly flying. It was attached to a hand. Attached? No, held in. Gods, it's like her limbic system is secretly plotting a mutiny to torment her dreams with fragmented memories and fumbled words.

* * *

><p>"GOOD MORNING LOS ANGELES!" Ringo is rudely awakened by Ayame calling her awake, "C'mon, I have a fruit cup!" Ayame beckons, holding up a fruit cup. Ringo perks up faster than a flower starved of sunlight after a rainstorm clears. In other words, she was up relatively quick. All it took was a small but delectable fruit cup.<p>

She remembers the events of the past day, those stabby needle memories actually helped her remember stuff. Even if she was scarred for life in the process. But she still can't remember who jabbed her... "Fruit cup, oh my god, where?" Ringo exclaims, eyes darting all over the ward.

Ringo snatches the fruit cup from Ayame's hands and wolfs it down. Strawberries, guavas, kiwifruit, mangoes and... Lychees. Oh, how sweet. Ringo felt like she was in fruit paradise. Fruit is her indulgence as well as specific kinds of jams, chocolate, cake and coffee. Having a fast metabolism is both a blessing and a curse. Mmmmmm... Yummy.

"So, Watson, investigation time." Ayame announces loudly, holding up a pad of paper and a pen. WATSON? Ringo is not Watson, she's not Doctor Watson! She's Sherlock Holmes, the one who has the magnifying glass! She's not Watson. Over her dead body she is Watson.

"Fuck you, you're Watson, I'm Sherlock!" Ringo snaps, crossing her arms and pouting like a child. Ayame mimes being shocked then bursts out laughing. "'Tis true, I am Sherlock... Damn it, fine, you can be Sherlock today." Ringo relents, setting the empty fruit cup on the tray beside her. Ryuk chuckles, Ayame and Ringo can be amusing. Ayame's his first fan, butRingo? Well, his first to-be assassin. That is, if she can work out a way to kill him.

"Alright, Watson, my father is officially conducting an investigation on Kireta-kun!" Ayame chirps, doodling on the pad of paper. She draws a cartoon Sherlock Holmes, sketching out his trademark hat and magnifying glass.

"What have you found?" Ringo says excitedly, hardly able to stay still. The plastic cup in Ringo's hands is beginning to crumple within Ringo's clenched fists.

"He's found out nada, and hasn't found the actual stalking subject Toshi and his house is squeaky clean but... Yeah, I got nothing. Sorry, your name is Ringo Blank for the time being." Ayame says discouragingly, her face is blank. She draws a cartoon Doctor Watson beside Sherlock Holmes. Ringo for once in her life wanted to cry. She doesn't even have a last name. "Yes, your life is tragic right now. Here, have a tissue." Ayame says quietly, passing her a tissue box. Ringo smirks, Ayame may have brought bad tidings... And gods, this smile is starting to hurt.

"I'll survive with being called just Ringo. No last name... Ringo Anonymous, Ringo Doe... Ringo freakin' Nothing, why do people need a surname anyway? Well, other than identification crisis with lots of people sharing a first name but still... Surnames... Who needs 'em?" Ringo replies nonchalantly, she shrugs and lays back coolly on her pillow. She's in a perfect patch of sun which is dainty and warm. She's living in heaven but if only the maternity ward wasn't next door.

Alas, those poor pregnant ladies. Ringo doesn't want to be like her mother who was eighteen when she had Ringo. Even if she had her parents and Robin with her... And maybe her real father with her. Ringo still doesn't want Toshi or some poor sod to be her baby daddy in the near future. Besides, her mother has said several times she doesn't want any grandchildren until Ringo is at least twenty three and has a decent job.

"Well, que será será. Whatever will be, will be. We'll find out your real surname but we'll need to dig pretty deep a hole to find it. You won't be Ringo Nothing forever." Ayame replies, adding the final details to her doodle of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Ayame is the best friend Ringo could ever hope for and Ringo's glad she's her best friend. Ayame may be a delinquent and a downright mischief-bringer at times in school but she knows exactly what to say at the right time... Well, not exactly every time but still, close enough.

"Okay... Can you get me another fruit cup? Please?" Ringo implores, she looks directly into Ayame's eyes. Ayame moans in exasperation, Ringo then uses the irresistible, the unspeakably adorable cute eyes on her.

"Fine." Ayame growls. Ayame then gets up and walks out of the ward to oblige to Ringo's request.

"Ryuk, you can have the apple." Ringo says blankly, she points to the apple on her breakfast tray. Ryuk lunges over to the apple and rushes outside to eat it. Ringo is surrounded by the bliss of an empty ward. Today, most patients are out and about but Ringo's being monitored and kept bed-bound under this evening. That's what she's hoping anyway.

* * *

><p>Ringo's mother rushes into the ward at five o'clock sharp, grabbing onto her daughter's hand and bursting into tears. "Oh my god, are you okay baby? When I got the phonecall from your school, I was devastated. Are you okay? I flew all the way over here, Ringo, are you okay?" Ringo's mother frantically speaks to her daughter, her eyes wide and panicked. Ringo's mother is freaking out and Ringo smiles and pats her mother's hand reassuringly.<p>

"I'm fine Mom, they flushed out the poisons. Someone jabbed me, I can't remember who... But anyway, I'm fine. The food is inedible, I've survived on fruit cups." Ringo replies cheerfully, holding her mother's hand. Her mother has a tearful smile painted on that beautiful face. She wraps her arms around her daughter, sprawled out beside her on the hospital bed.

"Thank the gods... Your father couldn't get out of work. Oh thank them you're alive." Ringo's mother replies softly, curling her arms tightly around her daughter. Ringo feels sorrowful, to think she had been brought up, living her life when it was all a lie. Who in the world was her real father? Why did her mother lie to her all these years? And more importantly, where's her father now?

"Well, Mrs. Logan, your daughter is in good shape and she's discharged as of..." The doctor looks at her watch before declaring the word Ringo has waited for hours to hear the doctor say. "Now." Ringo bursts out of the bed, and leaps onto the floor, skipping around like a fish out of water. "Don't get too excited Ringo." The doctor remarks, laughing along with her mother. But Ringo doesn't care, she's on Cloud Nine! She then finally manages to calm herself of her ecstatic joy and sits back down on the hospital bed.

Her mother passes Ringo a change of clothes, Ringo takes the clothes meekly, secretly her heart leaps around her chest. Ringo is so happy she could dance an Irish jig. Ringo changes into those clothes behind a curtain and steps out, freed of the hospital filled with food with murderous intent. "I need to speak to those cooks..." The nurse passing by eyes the food suspiciously before he leaves the ward.

Ringo walks out flanked by her mother whose high heels click on the linoleum floor and echo down the halls bustling with nurses and patients. Hospitals can be places of death and life... If Ringo ever comes back, she hopes it won't be related to drugs. Hopefully, she won't be back for quite a while. Ringo reaches a stairwell, Ryuk hovers behind her and she pauses. Toshi... Something about Toshi is bothering her. Her gut is telling her that Toshi's done and is doing something bad. If only she could remember! Stupid drug named sodium pentothal!

Her mother walks ahead of her and opens a door, taking her daughter's hand and leading her to a red rental car. It's a red Ferrari, her mother has good taste in rental cars and judging by the way her mother is looking at the car, she's going to end up buying it. Her mother has a thing for Ferraris and today is no different.

Ringo opens the car door and sits in the passenger seat. Ringo can already tell there's going to be a long conversation in this car. Ryuk lounges in the back seat, stretched out and being his lazy, apple-loving self. Her mother gets in the car and then she plugs the key in ignition and the engine starts with a roar. "Ringo, how's school been?" Her mother asks out of nowhere. Oh god. This isn't a good sign.

"Good, good..." Ringo replies hesitantly. Ringo prays to every single deity that her mother never finds out she got detention for a week. Her mother then reverses out of the parking lot and drives down the ramp onto the street. The tense atmosphere in the car already tells Ringo that her mother knows about the detention.

"Well, I also heard you got a detention for a week for wagging. Jesus, Ringo, arriving at ten o'clock to school... You better have an amazing explanation for that." Her mother reprimands, staring at her daughter. Fuck. Ringo knew that this was going to happen. That Math teacher is evil,s he hates Ringo... Oh Kami, her mother is going to have her grounded or even (gods forbid) have a curfew set up.

"Ummm... Shit happened?" Ringo replied sheepishly, twiddling her fingers and laughing nervously. Her mother arches an eyebrow, her golden-brown eyes regarding her silently. Ringo can't tell whether or not her mother's pissed off. It's a very ominous feeling and Ringo doesn't like it. "I swear to the gods it'll never happen again." Ringo says finally, placing her hands on her lap and bowing her head apologetically.

"Shit does happen, I guess. Alright, I believe you. But if I get one more call from your school and they mention you were that late again, I will set up a nine p.m curfew. Are we clear?" Ringo's mother replies, her eyes boring holes in Ringo's forehead. Oh shit. Nine p.m curfew? That's blasphemy! That's simply unreasonable to ask of a seventeen year old!

"Crystal." Ringo replies gently, looking back at her mother. Her wide dark brown eyes rimmed with thick eyelashes give her mother the 'I'm sorry' look. She looks directly into her mother's eyes to recapture her mother's trust, she won't let this happen again. But a week's detention was undeniably cruel. The fated punishment she could've gotten was even crueller. Ringo didn't even think a parent would conjure a nine p.m curfew.

That was _way _too close.

* * *

><p><strong>Hooray, we're back. I'll be writing Chapter Nine soon but I have to share this PC with my uncle and siblings so I'll try to get Chapter Nine in by Wednesday. Anyway, I hope you liked it =) Review, subscribe, favorite and alert! Love, Slushy-clan ~<br>**


	9. Chapter Nine

**AN: Hi, this is Slushy, how are you guys doing?  
>Anyway, I need to check my inbox more often because I noticed I got some more reviews! Hooray! :D<br>For starters, thank you Webgirl9m9, I appreciate that you said you liked my story! =)  
>Clarence Fowl (or Una Feltheart) thanks so much for reviewing. And thanks for your critique, really made my day! And thanks for the reassurance, I'm sure that there are a lot of people reading this and I'm very happy I chose to continue it.<br>MidnightOwl, thanks so much!**

**So, to put in several words, thanks so much for your reviews, opinion means a lot to me and I'm glad that people like this. Thanks so much guys! You're awesome! Anyway, here's Chapter Nine! Hope you guys like it! ;) And I'll be updating The Serenade of Winter very soon so keep an eye out! ;)**

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Nine**

Ringo lounges back on the couch, her mother's gone to to have an afternoon nap. She didn't get a wink of sleep on the flight because someone's baby back in economy class was wailing its head off the whole way. Ringo felt terrible that she scared her mother so much that her mother flew out from South Africa on a business trip to see if Ringo was okay. Ringo turns the volume down on the news, more reports of serial killers and criminals dropping dead like flies. Ringo has used the second Death Note, she doesn't know how she's going to deal with another shinigami though.

The second Death Note had been written in Japanese, unlike Ryuk's which had been written in English. Hopefully, the other one won't be as hyperactive as Ryuk. Ryuk is bugging Ringo to play Mario Kart with him but Ringo doesn't want to wake up her mother. Ringo's mother is an unholy terror when she's woken up. She nearly had her head on a plate when her mother was told about this week's detentions. She doesn't want to end up in a similar situation again, she doesn't want a nine p.m curfew. But since her mother is back, Ringo doesn't have the limitless freedom she had when living alone.

She won't be allowed to come home whenever she wants, stock up on cakes and sugary indulgences or go out every day to meet up with Ayame. Nearly every day, they go to the arcade to murder pixelated zombies with plastic guns and then play a few rounds of laser strike. Then, a epic air hockey battle would ensue. And the other thing, Ringo won't be able to communicate with Ryuk freely. Her mother might think Ringo's lost her mind and Ringo doesn't want to have to go to a psychologist to fix all her issues.

Playing violent video games is cheaper than therapy, so she's found an alternative to counselling. Even if her mother would disapprove if she ever found out about Ringo's secret 'counselling' sessions at the arcade. She'd have Ringo's guts as a skipping rope, literally. In case, Ringo would be digging her own grave if her mother ever found her secret stash of gory video games: _Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed _and the _Resident Evil _saga to name a few. Ringo's mother likes to think that her daughter is an innocent, harmless teenager. But alas, her mother is wrong.

Ringo is Kira, a serial killer that kills criminals. She doesn't even care if she's the sixth, seventh or whatever number she is. Ringo doesn't really enjoy killing living and breathing human beings but she's doing the world a favor. Unlike the original Kira who played god, Ringo doesn't ever want to be a god, the power is too daunting to imagine. And she knows that L will be on her tail. She's like the Joker and he's the detective trying to catch her. When she was a little girl, she didn't understand what was going on when Kira first appeared, but L and Kira had one hell of a battle.

Kira has been recorded in historical records as the most ruthless serial killer in recorded history. The Death Note is a formidable weapon, it even overpowers nuclear weapons for it can kill anyone and everyone. But Kira has been on and off, some pseudo-Kiras have appeared from time to time, but all of the copycats made the fatal mistake of behaving differently to the original Kira. Instead they killed people standing in their way, the elderly or those that had a death wish. Kira killed the wicked but for a selfish purpose. Ringo's not that kind of monster. Yes, Ringo is a monster but a special breed of monster.

Ayame then marches in with her copy of Ringo's house key, Ringo's mother said that they could study together for the night just as long as they were quiet. In fact, Ayame was here to play their usual Saturday Nights of _Prince of Persia _and _Resident Evil 5._ But Ayame notices the Death Note in Ringo's hands and the news on TV, viewing a special bulletin of 'The Mysteries Behind Kira'. "Ringo, what's that?" Ayame asks strangely, peering at the Death Note with both suspicion and curiosity.

"It's the Death Note, Ayame-san." Ryuk answers for Ringo, who turns off the TV and turns her attentions to Ayame. Ayame's mouth settles in a hard line, she probably wants a more specific answer.

"Ryuk, I'm offended you think I'm dyslexic!" Ayame replies sarcastically, making Ryuk grin in response. Ayame then returns to being serious, turning on Ringo again. "But what is the Death Note?" Ayame demands, hands on hips. Ringo hushes Ayame and gestures down the hall where her mother's in a deep sleep. She's knocked herself out on sleeping pills and won't be up until tomorrow afternoon at the very least. Her mother was given a week's leave to look after Ringo and she'll go back to South Africa on Sunday. It's Wednesday evening and Ayame is still impatiently waiting for the answer to her question.

"Ayame, go to the kitchen and get the cookies out of the pantry. This is going to take a while to explain." Ringo murmurs, flipping through Ryuk's Death Note. Light Yagami killed a lot of people and from what Ryuk's told her, he sounds like one of those utter douche-bags with flawless hair. She settles on an empty page and exhales shallowly.

* * *

><p>"Ringo, you're shitting me right? There's no such thing as a book that if you write someone's name it, they'll die! That defies most... no, all of the laws of tangibility! That's impossible. There's no fucking way it's real." Ayame hisses under her breath, darting her eyes to the hallway. Ringo exhales exasperatedly, she knew Ayame was going to be skeptical about this. It leaves Ringo no choice, she has to show her that it works.<p>

"Give me a name of a criminal that's recently been locked up." Ringo replies blankly, fixing her glance on Ayame. Ayame stares at Ringo like Ringo just stabbed her in the throat with a kebab skewer. "Just do it Ayame!" Ringo snaps, taking a pen out of her pocket. Ringo's going to have to tell Ayame that she's Kira. Ayame's probably going to hate her for all eternity but Ringo won't keep a secret from Ayame.

"Darren Bradshaw. He's going to be trialed for murdering six people with a hacksaw, arson and assault. He's being kept in custody for assaulting a police officer. He's in Florida." Ayame answers reluctantly, staring down at the Death Note. Ringo is stunned. Jesus, a hacksaw? This world is hare-brained, it's being transformed into an endless whirlpool of insanity and chaos. "Alright Ringo, prove it." Ayame says skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ringo then turns the news on and writes down Darren Bradshaw into the Death Note, he'll be attacked by an inmate, a violent battle would ensue and the inmate would finally strangle him to death. She waits for forty seconds, then a minute passes.

After five painstaking minutes, an urgent bulletin rushes in reporting the violent death of Darren Bradshaw. The inmate, Renard Loxley was found guilty of murder of his inmate, his wife and his two infant sons and subsequently was sentenced to death. "It's real, Ayame." Ringo says gently, lowering her gaze to the floor. She should've been more careful.

"No fucking way... You're Kira aren't you?" Ayame replies in a stunned voice. She stares at Ringo, horrified. Ringo nods sullenly and Ayame is speechless. "I think I should go." Ayame utters, barely able to form the words. Ringo turns away ashamed, why did Ayame have to find out this way? "I need to go outside for a second." Ayame says abruptly, she gets up and leaves out the kitchen door to the balcony. Ringo is infuriated with herself. Her best friend hates her now all because of a shinigami's notebook. Ringo looks down at the Death Note in her hands, she holds back a wave of tears.

_HOW TO USE IX_

_1. The Death Note will not affect those under 780 days old._  
><em>2. The Death Note will be rendered useless if the victim's name is misspelled four times.<em>  
><em>3. If the victim's name was misspelled on purpose four or more times, the user along with the victim will die.<em>

What has Ringo put herself into? Why did she put herself into this? Why did she have to lose her friend over this? "Oh my god, what have I done?" Ringo mumbles, the urge to throw something is overwhelming. Ringo's foster elder brother Ryan has a small gym in the basement with a shooting range. Ringo used to be a real crackshot when her step-grandfather took her turkey hunting. Maybe shooting a few mannequins will ease her frustration. Or maybe she could get Ryan's baseball bat and bat at a few cheap porcelain vases. No, both are too loud. Then what can she do?

Ayame then comes back inside, she looks stony-faced and Ringo dreads what she's going to say. They can't be friends anymore because Ringo's Kira. "Look, I don't give a damn if you're Kira, if Ryuk is a shinigami or if the Death Note defies all the laws of tangibility, you're my friend. So, fuck tangibility." Ayame admits quietly, then she walks over and sits back down. She gives Ringo a bone-crushing hug. "You're Kira and that's fine with me." She whispers fiercely, hugging her tighter. Well... that went better than expected.

* * *

><p>Ayame left at five the next morning to go back home. Because Ringo was still recovering, she's not going to school today. Ryuk is ravaging himself on apples left in the fridge, Ringo's just asleep so he can get away with it for now. Then a small, bird-like female shinigami hovers into the kitchen. "Your majesty!" The shinigami squeaks and does a polite bow. She then hovers over to the sleeping form of Ringo.<p>

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. That human is very temperamental." Ryuk warns, plucking up another apple and swallowing it down whole. The female shinigami ignores Ryuk and perches on the arm of the sofa. Ringo then stirs in her sleep, and blinks owlishly. Ringo then bolts upright and nearly falls off the sofa when she sees the new shinigami.

"Who the hell are you?" Ringo demands, pointing at the shinigami perching on the opposite side of the sofa from her. The shinigami bobs up and down on its long toes. Its feet clung to the arm of the sofa. The shinigami was petite and small compared to Ryuk, perhaps being a younger shinigami. She's cloaked by two huge black wings with glossy feathers. The shinigami's are bright yellow lamp-like and similar to an eagle's, it's very avian and lean in body shape. In fact, it's actually kind of cute too.

"I'm very happy to see you Ringo-san, I'm Sloane." Sloane chirps upbeatly, ruffling her wings as she bounces up and down. Ringo stares at Sloane for a few moments, bewildered by the sight. Does this shinigami have an addiction to apples? She already has to deal with Ryuk, she doesn't want to deal with Sloane now with the doubled amount of apples. "Do you have any Jell-O, Ringo-san?" Sloane inquires politely, gesturing to the kitchen. Ringo then zones out for a consecutive moment. Did she just hear what she thought she did? A shinigami that likes Jell-O?

"Uhhhhhh... Yeah, in the fridge." Ringo replies strangely, pointing to her fridge. Sloane glides over to the fridge and ransacks it, snatching a bowl of blueberry Jell-O from the middle shelf and wolfing it down. Ringo stares at the petite creature, both fascinated by seeing a different shinigami and slightly repulsed at it's eating habits. "So, you're the owner of the other Death Note?" Ringo asks blankly, staring at the oddity of the shinigami world.

"Yes, I am," Sloane replies, her mouth full of jelly. Sloane then takes a break from devouring blue jelly and gazes at Ringo, "I was in the human world and I dropped my Death Note. You must've found it." Sloane says, gently patting at her mouth to get rid of left over jelly. Ringo looks over at Ryuk, who stares at the other shinigami. Sloane must be new to the shinigami-human bond agenda. Ringo is going to have a hard time satisfying this shinigami's Jell-O cravings. Ringo's week is going to be Hell. Sloane then finished gobbling down her fill of jelly and left the bowl scraped clean on the bench.

Ringo then realizes that this is a young shinigami, and Ryuk seems overshadowed by Sloane. Sloane is a ball of energy and is hyperactive, even more than Ryuk is. It's like Ringo's going to deal with a puppy that's never grow to grow up. Ringo's not going to make it out of the week alive. And this was supposed to be a break for the sake of her health. She wishes she was at school, because Ryuk is relatively quiet at school. She usually has to bribe him with apples though and that defeats the purpose. But she can already tell that Sloane is never going to be able to stay still.

Ringo then sits down and searches around the nest she's made on the soda for Ryuk's Death Note... It's gone. "Ho shit, Ryuk, your Death Note is missing." Ringo says, frantically tossing and turning furniture and pillows. Ryuk doesn't seem to care about the Death Note, being far too occupied engorging himself on apples and trying to keep Sloane from destroying Ringo's kitchen. Sloane doesn't even need sugar to go hyper, it's a natural gift. Then Ringo gets a text from Ayame. _By the way, who's Light Yagami? _Oh Ayame. You took the Death Note, didn't you?

Ringo then facepalms, seven years ago, some guy named Light Yagami who had been Taikoku Gakuen High's prodigy student graduated and then wound up missing. Everyone figured he got killed. Nobody knows who killed him or where he went but his girlfriend Misa Amane killed herself on Valentine's Day a year later. Someone set up a memorial for him at the front gate in his remembrance, though no one really bothers to so much as glance at it.

The last bouquet of flowers there are long gone. It seems that everyone had simply forgotten him. But his name was in Ryuk's Death Note so Ryuk must've killed him. Ringo then composes a reply, _Errrrr... Ayame, haven't you seen the memorial by the gate? And he's a nutter... That's what Ryuk told me anyway. _Ringo then sends the text and looks at the kitchen.

Ryuk is holding onto Sloane to stop her from breaking into Ringo's pantry and stealing all the Jell-O sachets sealed inside. _Oh yeah, that guy. Well, my dad found something. A business card with your real dad's pseudonym written on it. But he hasn't found any leads yet._ Ringo's eyebrows furrow in frustration, the desire to know her real father has been eating away at her, driving her to the brink of insanity by the mere thought of it.

"Sloane? Ryuk? I need one of you! Now!" Ringo barks, putting her phone back in her pocket. Ryuk releases Sloane who glides over to Ringo and perches beside her and ruffles her wings. "Sloane, how did you know my name?" Ringo asks gently, staring directly at the shinigami. Ringo could find out her real name if Sloane was willing to tell her, somehow Sloane knew her name and Ringo needs to know why.

"Shinigami eyes can see the names of human beings, Ringo-san, and also their death dates." Sloane chirps playfully, ruffling her feather slightly. Shinigami eyes? Ringo looks at Sloane, searching for answers. "That's all, Ringo-san." Sloane says blankly, crossing her stick-like arms. It seems that Sloane isn't obligated to tell Ringo her own name. Her real name. Ringo exhales exasperatedly, she had been hoping Sloane would tell her. But it seems that Ringo has to find out the hard way: investigation.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there you have it. I've introduced the new shinigami Sloane! (She's an OC shinigami) And I'll probably be updating this next week. The computer schedule is hectic. I'll update The Serenade of Winter on Saturday. Anyway, please do me on small favor and scroll down and click on the small blue button. You only have to write a few words and that'd be enough to make me very happy.<strong>

**Anyway, adieu for now! Slushy ~**


	10. Chapter Ten

**AN: Hi, this is Slushy, and I'm back with the tenth chapter!  
>Anyway, I'd like to make a few thank yous to some more reviewers=3<br>For starters:  
>Una Feltheart, thanks so much for reviewing! And yes, I love Prince of Persia and Lara Croft too. Haha, I think that's why a lot of my friends (who love Death Note as much as I do) compare me to Matt for my love of video games and L because of my sweet tooth :3<br>So, to put in several words, thanks so much for your review, thanks so much! You're awesome!  
>Anyway, here's Chapter Ten! Hope you guys like it! ;) And I'll be updating The Serenade of Winter again soon!<strong>

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Chapter Ten**

Ayame walks through the front door, clutching the Death Note closely to her hip. "Hi, what's up? I was planning on having some yakisoba but I could give you some too?" Ringo greets Ayame who politely declines her offer with a shake of her head. "You scared me, I thought I'd lost the Death Note and I was petrified. If that thing ended up in the hands of the wrong person..." Ringo trails off gently, noticing that something's up with her friend. Ayame sits down on the sofa and grips onto the Death Note tightly, her knuckles are white. "Are you okay?" Ringo asks quietly, making her way over to her friend.

"Yeah, just ran into Shigure-kun. He has a girlfriend. I'm fine." Ayame replies shakily, a fake smile on her face. Ringo then saunters over to the sofa and places a reassuring hand on Ayame's shoulder. She still doesn't know who on Earth Shigure is but she'll find out his surname and kill him with the Death Note. Though, really, that's a possibility. Shigure does sound like a dumbass for not seeing this drop dead stunning chick here.

"Maybe we'll pick up some clues if we go to Hell or wherever they leave souls. We can look for Hikaru and ask him some questions about Toshi. Hikaru was Toshi's best friend, he might know some stuff that Toshi knew about my father." Ringo says earnestly, glancing at Ryuk. Ryuk glances at Ayame in interest. He's teaching Sloane about the shinigami-human bond and Sloane's a good student. Despite being hyperactive and incapable of ever being still, she's very observant and learns quickly.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Ayame replies in monotone, her eyes are starting to swell up. They are bloodshot and teary. Ringo is going to find this 'Shigure' and beat his face in. No one dares make her friend cry and then gets away with it.

"For starters, who the hell is Shigure? You never told me. And secondly, there's someone else you need to meet as well." Ringo says quickly, brushing Sloane's Death Note against Ayame's hand. Ayame gazes over to the direction of the kitchen and then squeals like a fangirl. "That's Sloane-chan. Isn't she adorable?" Ringo asks, glancing at her friend. Now, Ayame is fangirling all over the place.

"Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!" Ayame sings and she gazes at the Sloane, who's spooning Jell-O into her mouth. Sloane glances over to Ayame with innocent eyes, her lamp-like eyes widen as she studies Ayame. "Oh, she's so adorable!" Ayame croons, gazing at the little shinigami. Sloane smiles sweetly and continues wolfing down raspberry Jell-O. Ryuk stares at Ayame expectantly, Ayame then glances at him. "Ryuk, I got apples for you." Ayame says playfully, reaching for her bag. She plucks three apples from her bag and tosses them one by one to Ryuk. Ryuk catches one in his mouth, another in his hand and the final one is caught by Sloane. Sloane hands it meekly to Ryuk, continuing to devour Jell-O without another word.

"Thank you Ayame-san. Speaking of Purgatory, humans aren't allowed to go there unless they've come to pass. A shinigami would receive capital punishment if they took a human there." Ryuk says candidly, glancing at Ringo. Ringo bangs her fist against the arm of the sofa, infuriated that her plan got sunk.

"However, perhaps his Majesty can take you there? The Shinigami King is the only one that can bend the rules since he was the one who wrote them." Sloane interjects, holding up a clawed hand. "The King's right-hand man is a prime suspect for the previous King's murder so a random one was chosen because the shinigami were in panic and also, they didn't want a suspected murderer on the throne..." Ryuk was trying to keep Sloane quiet but Sloane evaded Ryuk easily by distancing herself out of arm's reach in case Ryuk tried to grab her.

"Ryuk, this is very important. Can or can you not you take us to Purgatory?" Ringo queries, looking at Ryuk pleadingly. Hikaru was close to Toshi so maybe Toshi killed him because Hikaru knew too much. Toshi may have killed Hikaru to keep him quiet. Ryuk hovers in the air, thinking carefully about this. Even if the Shinigami King could bend his own rules, it isn't a wise idea to do so. "Please, Ryuk. I'll pay you your own weight in apples." Ringo implores, waving her purse around. Now that's what Ryuk's talking about!

"Alright, I'll take you there. But don't go back on your promise." Ryuk warns, his body is starting to twist from withdrawal. Ringo nods in agreement, silently cursing herself. The price will be astronomical.

* * *

><p>Ringo told her mother she had gone out with Ayame by leaving a note on the fridge, but she immediately regretted going with Ayame. Finding a good take-off place was nearly impossible and the actual flight itself was hell to go through. Ringo learned today that clouds can soak you through to the bone when you go through them and the 'soft as cotton' stories were complete bullshit.<p>

But when they arrived at Purgatory, the whole fracas was just the beginning. Ringo stands at Purgatory's gates, flanked on her left by Sloane and on her right by Ryuk. Purgatory was very bland, a world painted over by white and grey. The screams of souls trying to escape were ringing in Ringo's ears and she could hardly hear herself think. Her clothes are still soaking wet; she should thought out a plan before this. But what's done is done.

"Ringo, let's go in." Ayame whispers quietly, she shakily approaches the gates and thrusts them open. The black iron gates swing open and Ringo steps in. Purgatory is cold and the ground is stone. The environment is murky and sparse, devoid of any life and the surroundings are dimly lit by lamps. Souls surround them, pleading Ringo to take them back with her.

Ringo ignores them, walking through them as if they were air. Ringo felt sympathetic to those souls but as much as she wants to kill Ryuk, she's genuinely grateful to him for bringing her here. "Hello? Does anyone know where Kurenai Hikaru is?" Ringo asks loudly, trying to make herself heard over the cries of despairing souls. The souls quieten down and allow them to pass, being ominously silent.

"Does anyone know?" Ayame asks, staring into the faces of the dead. She receives no answers.

"That depends Nakamura Ayame, do you have anything to pay with for information?" A soul steps forward out of the crowd. He's very disheveled-looking with tousled raven hair and dark eyes. Half of his body is badly burned, but both eyes still possess life, and an intimidating stare. Ayame grips onto Ringo's bicep tightly.

Ringo glances at the man. Ringo's frozen on the spot, her eyes are glued onto him. "Who are you?" Ayame asks apprehensively, Sloane then looks at the soul and studies him for a few minutes.

The soul doesn't answer so Ringo turns to Sloane for answers. "Sloane, what's his name?" Ringo asks nervously, unable to look away from that intense stare.

"He's known as Beyond Birthday, he died January 21st in 2004. He was twenty four when he died. He died from cardiac arrest caused by a Death Note possessed by one Light Yagami. He was the serial killer behind the BB Los Angeles Murders otherwise known as the Wara Ningyo Murders. His real name is B Lawliet." Sloane drones, her eyes are dulled by obvious boredom. Ringo then gazes at the soul then it struck her. She's seen this name in the Death Note.

"Shinigami can read souls as well as human beings. However, more extensively with souls. Shinigami can even see who they were killed by or cause of death. He was killed by Light Yagami with a Death Note. He must have the shinigami eyes, shinigami eyes remain with the soul even after death. Souls can see shinigami because they are dead." Ryuk explains quickly to Ringo. Ringo nods, a little dazed. Yes, she's definitely seen his name in the Death Note. Light Yagami, Ringo's going to ask him quite a few questions.

"Well, BB, can I call you that?" Ringo queries, playing her moves carefully. Even if this guy's dead, she doesn't want to mess with him. The soul nods in agreement, biting the end of his thumb. And this feeling in her gut is telling her she's seen him before. "What do you want for information?" Ringo asks, scuffing her foot on the ground. The soul chuckles darkly, the chuckle makes Ringo's blood run cold. Well, he is or rather, was a serial killer. Ayame lets go of Ringo's shoulder and steps back.

"Do you happen to have any jam?" Beyond Birthday asks, chewing on the end of his thumb. He's gone too long without jam - he's about to go mad. Well, he already has, but still. Ringo then glances back at Sloane, she has at least seven jars of strawberry jam back home though it's her special jam that she herself made. But her mother will freak out if she's awake and sees jars of jam levitating in midair. Hmmmm... Ringo then thinks strategically, this soul is a bit of a pain to deal with.

"Yes, I do. Sloane, I want you to go back to my house and get the strawberry jams out of my fridge." Ringo orders, glancing back at the shinigami. Her glare is enough to kickstart the shinigami into action. Sloane whines irritably, sulking as she bolts out the gate and back down to the human world. "You better have the information I want. I will be beyond pissed off if you don't have the information I want. No pun intended." Ringo says, glancing away into the crowd of souls. "This is my special jam that took me hours I didn't have to make. So, BB, don't disappoint me." Ringo says, glancing back at BB. The most disconcerting slasher smile appears on his face.

* * *

><p>Sloane then returns with the jars of jam, crash-landing to the ground. Her wings flutter feebly, the shinigami is exhausted. She hands the jam to Ringo and lounges on the ground to catch it's breath. "Oh my, Ringo, look! There's another of the dude you're talking to!" Ayame points to another soul, they look exactly the same. What the?! Speak of the Devil. They could be twins. "Sloane, do they happen to be related?" Ayame asks the exhausted shinigami, who takes a sharp inhale.<p>

"I think so. This man is called L Lawliet, he died on November the 5th in 2004. He was twenty five when he died. He was killed by Light Yagami as well but with the use of a shinigami." Sloane replies, clutching her side. She must be having a stitch of some kind. Ringo glances at each soul, taking all the information in. Then it hits her. L... Lawliet... Is this L? The real L? It is a really weird name, and his first name is L. "Oi, I really need some Jell-O! Ringo-chaaaaaaaan!" Sloane whines loudly, dragging her feet in circles. Ringo moans exasperatedly and focuses on the two souls.

"I'll give you Jell-O later. Now spill, Tweedledum. If you have to wrong information, I'll ask your 'brother' Tweedledee." Ringo says sharply, facing the dead serial killer without fear. BB doesn't look pleased by his new honorific, his mouth settled in a hard line. L doesn't look too happy either, expressing his displeasure with a slight pout. Ringo glances at them again. They look like adorable pandas. Sweet, adorable and innocent pandas. Well, one of them isn't so... innocent. Ringo snickers and pokes her tongue out jokingly. Sloane is whining and whingeing in the background.

"Ringo, can you please get your shinigami to stop talking now?" L groans, shuffling towards Ringo. Ringo then eyes Sloane who's whining about Jell-O. Once Sloane sees Ringo's face, she's silenced straight away. Sloane begins squeaking with fright and hiding behind Ryuk. "Thank you." L exhales, sitting back down on the ground.

"No problem, I guess." Ringo sighs exasperatedly, her stomach twists into another knot. Ringo then takes a chocolate bar out of her pocket, she needs this chocolate to calm herself down. Being in Purgatory has given her a nerve-racking feeling.

"Can I please have your chocolate bar?" L beseeches, his eyes widen as the chocolate bar catches his eye. It looks like he's gone without sugar for a very long time. Ringo grasps her chocolate bar protectively, reluctant to share. But those panda eyes... She hands it over with a longing exhale.

"Kurenai Hikaru is over there," BB says briskly, he points to a soul stooped beneath a lamp nearby. His black hair shrouding his face, and he looks like he has scars on his face. Ringo then surrenders the jam jars and thanks him with a polite nod. Ringo saunters over to Hikaru, his head raises slightly as Ringo approaches. "Oh, and _please_ don't ever call me Tweedledum again." BB calls after her in a irritated voice. Ringo smiles devilishly and crouches in front of Hikaru, balancing on her tiptoes.

"Ringo. I have been expecting you." Hikaru's voice is wistful and has a slight husk to it. This is definitely the boy who sat up front. She knows his voice, if not his face. His face turns up to face Ringo, his dark blue eyes piercing straight through her like needles. His lips are covered in scars.

* * *

><p>"I know why you're here. But I'm afraid that I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. I do know more than you do however you don't want know who you're looking for." Hikaru speaks clearly, his eyes boring holes into her. Ringo's brows furrow in frustration, she's pissed off. Her frustration growing steadily, this is the first time she wants to punch someone. But she can't punch through air.<p>

"'Kay, then I suppose I have to go Ghostbuster on your ass." Ringo replies coolly, standing up and turning to walk away. Hikaru then stands up but Ringo cuts off his path. Ringo _must _know who her father is. She's never wanted anything as much as this in her entire life. Ringo's not going to give up until she knows who her father is.

"What are you going to do? Kill me? I'm _already _dead, wiseass." Hikaru replies sarcastically, he rolls his eyes and passes through her. Ringo's bones shake at the sudden cold that just went through her, like icy water.

"You have one more chance, Hikaru." Ringo warned, her brown eyes adopting a terrifying gaze. He's seen it on someone else. Hikaru walks right through her again, chills run up and down her spine. The sensations are terrifying.

"Truth is, I would tell you if I could but I can't. They'll punish me if I tell you." Hikaru replies somberly, flicking his gaze away from her. Ringo pauses, listening intently to Hikaru's words. "I swear I would tell you if I could, but souls are forbidden to tell such things to the living. Souls can't answer questions regarding the questioner's past. If a soul says such things, they'll be punished severely." Hikaru says warily, flicking his gaze back to her again. Ringo inhales sharply, the rage is boiling in her blood like some sickening concoction.

"That is the most ridiculous law I've ever heard." Ringo replies, trying to hold back all this undeniable rage. She's completely wasted her time on this. "Alright, since you are unable to answer my question, then tell me about Toshi. Did he murder you?" Ringo asks finally, her eyes demand answers, Hikaru exhales sorrowfully.

"Yes, he killed me. But he told me it was for the best. He cared too much to tell you the truth." Hikaru replied bitterly, pacing along the ground. "He figured I'd tell you so he murdered me to shut me up. He shot me up with something, and the next thing I saw was this place." Hikaru says quietly, a sickeningly mournful smile on his face. Ringo then freezes up, she's completely lost for words.

"I'm sorry, Hikaru. You must hate me. It's my fault you're dead and everything." Ringo says gently, shoving her hands in her pockets. Hikaru glances at her, and he shakes his head in disagreement.

"I don't hold anything against anyone. There were others that knew and he killed them too. He spared your mother and 'father' because he knows that you are suspecting him, and he didn't want to piss you off." Hikaru replies earnestly, leaning back against the post. Ringo then remembers everything, the wall of photos, the box under that loose floorboard... Oh gods no.

"Oh my god... How many has he killed?" Ringo asks faintly, her hand over her mouth. Frankly, she's killed people as well, and she can feel guilty about that but Toshi has actually killed people by his own hand.

"I don't even know that myself. Maybe you will find out yourself. I thought Toshi was mad, some of the things he'd do and say were pure insanity. But he's hopelessly in love with you, he's been so for years... He's a mad dog, and a deranged serial killer." Hikaru replies, his tone is deadpan. Ringo then walks away from the soul, pacing back and forth nervously. "That's all I can say for now. You need to return back to your world." Hikaru says warily, glancing at the other souls milling around.

"Thanks... Ayame, Sloane and Ryuk... We're going." Ringo replies flippantly, turning to leave. Ringo runs back to the gates, BB and L are gone. Oh well, that doesn't matter. She'll be back here at some point, she needs to speak to Hikaru again at some point. And also talk a bit more to the Panda Twins, she'll ask L about Light Yagami. That is, if they are brothers. It could be coincidental if they have the same surname. Though the fact that they are lookalikes of eachother is a bit unnerving. Ayame then tails Ringo, Ringo shuts the gate behind her and doesn't look back.

* * *

><p><strong>This is my first ever AN footnote! I decided to make BB and L brothers in this fanfiction cuz for all we know, they could be! You never know ;)**

**But anyway, I'll update again soon! Please review and subscribe my lovelies =3**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**AN: Hi, I'm back with the eleventh chapter! I'll make my shout-out to my reviewers before we begin x3  
>Una Feltheart, thanks so much for your review! Yes, I agree that Angel of Darkness was the best. And hehe, we shall see with Sloane and Ryuk! And thanks again for the review! It was a rainy day and it brightened my mood :)<strong>

******NOTICE:I'm going to be away for a week and a bit so I'm updating before I go away. I only have half an hour's worth of credit on a wireless modem stick so I probably won't be able to update on that timing, secondly I'm going to the beach with my family so I'd be spending loads of time with my family. But I will try to write stuff while I'm gone and update every fanfiction with a double-chapter to make up for my absence.******

**So, my friends, I present Chapter Eleven. ;)**

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on. It is a bit longer than it was :)****

**Chapter Eleven**

Ringo sits down on her bed, honestly unsure of how to take all this in. For starters, no one's going to believe her when she says Hikaru was murdered by Toshi. Because that claim would be based entirely around Hikaru's word and Hikaru is dead. People would think she was mad and she'd be carted off to a mental asylum if she continued telling the truth. But people have to know somehow. Ryuk is lounging around in the air, devouring a huge apple he stole from Ringo's fridge. Sloane is out of the house with Ayame, who's gone to buy her Jell-O. So, Ringo's been left alone.

She's studying a book from her bookshelf, the first volume of _Akazukin ChaCha_. This was a manga that her mother used to read when she was a little kid so she gave them to Ringo when she was six. Ringo's grown to love the manga as well, it's her favorite manga. Ringo's a secret shojo manga lover at heart, she's not all that heartless despite being Kira. She's looking at the cover, then she puts the book on her bed and exhales sadly.

Why did it have to be this way? Ringo had hoped, no... _prayed _that Toshi hadn't killed Hikaru. Well, maybe because she had grown to care about Toshi. As creepy as he is, if you take off all the stalker behavior, he is sweet. Though, maybe he's just faking. As far as she's heard, sociopaths tend to be talented at hiding and faking emotions. Ringo's just being her dumbass self again.

She glances over at her mobile phone, she's considering on calling him. Ringo wants to pretend that none of this had ever happened but this feeling of wanting to find out things was overwhelming. Ringo had found things she never wanted to know but it's far too late to turn back now. She can't abandon an investigation in the middle of it, unsolved. But what the hell is she going to do? L, the second L, is probably looking for her. She's got Toshi to deal with and now, she's found out Robin Logan isn't her father. All those times, he lied to her. And her mother lied too. Who in the world could possibly be her real father?

Then her mobile rings. It's Toshi. She knows because she's assigned a ringtone to him. She isn't ready for this. After it refuses to hang up, she picks it up and answers it. "Hello?" Ringo answers warily, sitting down on her bed.

"Ringo, fucking Hell! Answer faster next time..." Ayame's furious voice flows through the speakers. Ringo gets off her bed with a start.

"What the hell? Why did you take Toshi's phone?" Ringo demands furiously, Toshi is going to be really pissed. Somehow, an immovable object met an unstoppable force. And this happened.

"I stole Toshi's phone and he's chasing after me." Ayame gabbles, she sounds like she's running for her life. "I ran into him at the 7/11. I'm taking shortcuts through the parks. He knows everything about the folder. I don't know how the fuck he found out but he's _pissed_." Ayame says, her breathing sounds ragged, and Ringo can hear rapid footfalls and wingbeats in the background. Sloane's still with her.

"What do you want me to do?" Ringo asks hesitantly, pacing the room as she listens to her friend run for her life. It's a good thing that Ayame's known to be good at PE, but Toshi is faster and he's top at PE. Eventually, she'll tire and Ringo doesn't want to know what happens next.

"You need to get your ass out of that house. I'll call you back in five minutes when I've got enough distance from Toshi. He can't hear our conversation, I've got at least twenty meters on him. Get your mother out of the house... Just fucking run, girl!" Ayame gasps loudly, she's tiring. Ayame hung up, and Ringo only hears a tone.

Ringo springs up, grabbing her messenger bag. "Mom, can we go to the park today?" Ringo calls loudly to her mother, trying to disguise the panic in her voice.

"Of course, when?" Her mother answers back cheerfully. Her mother strides over to the door, then she realizes that Ringo's strangely off about something. "Alright, we'll go now if you like." Her mother says quickly, running off to find her shoes. Ringo's dressed herself into shorts, battered sneakers, a black singlet and a plaid hoodie. She can't risk Toshi recognizing her.

She gets out of her room and bolts the window and her door. She's got the only key to the bolt so Toshi won't be able to get in without the actual key. Ringo changed all the locks. Unless he has a bobby pin. She needs to stop with the paranoia. Her mother's dressed in jeans and a simple shirt, she's wearing sneakers too though hers are relatively new. Ringo locks every door in the house before they leave. They leave out the back door and head off to the park. "Sorry, Mum. I need to get out of the house." Ringo says quietly, her laugh sounds a bit off.

Ryuk figured something was up so he's close behind Ringo. He's wondering where Sloane is, he's been worrying where that Jell-O devouring adorable face has been all day. She's not your typical shinigami, she's not lazy. In fact, Ryuk wonders if she's a shinigami at all.

"No problem, darling. You worry me sometimes though..." Her mother replies merrily, walking along beside her. Ringo feels bad, her mom doesn't know that Ringo's Kira. She can't admit to her mother's that she's Kira even if she tells her mother everything.

Ringo guides her mother through the park, taking her to the most secluded place she knows. She'll distract her mother for the rest of the day while she figures out a plan. She can't kill Toshi because people will notice him dropping dead and she doesn't know where he is. She's given the Death Notes to Ryuk to keep them hidden. Once they reach their destination, Ringo relaxes slightly.

All that matters to her, is that her mother is safe. She doesn't want Toshi involving her in this mess nor does she want Toshi killing her mother. She's sparing Toshi on a whim for the sake of her mother, she has to hide this from her. "Ryuk." She mutters to Ryuk, who perks up. "I need you to find Sloane and Ayame. Come back immediately after you've found them." Ringo whispers under her breath, ensuring that her mother can't hear her.

"I'm going to sit down." Ringo's mother calls over to Ringo. Ringo nods, watching her mother like a hawk. It's hard to keep an eye on her and watch for signs of Toshi at the same time.

Ryuk takes off, leaving behind a black feather from his wing. The feather floats daintily to the ground. It fades into the earth, and there's no trace of it in the shadows. Ringo watches him leave then she carefully watches for danger. Toshi can't stay off her mind. Then her phone rings. Ringo answers, "Hello?" She answers apprehensively. It's Toshi's phone.

"It's me again," Ringo doesn't know who the fuck me is. The voice is slightly distorted. "Ayame. I got away from Toshi, for now. I'm tailing him, he's heading to your place. Are you out of there?" Ayame says quickly, her footfalls are fairly quiet. Ringo sighs in relief. Thank the gods she's safe.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you alright?" Ringo answers smoothly, she relaxes. Toshi won't know where she is. Ayame's ragged breathing on the other line, she's obviously been running like Hell. But who doesn't when a murderer is chasing them? "I've sent Ryuk to pinpoint your location." Ringo says calmly, scuffing her foot. The leaves rustle around her feet.

"Okay, I see him. He's turning back though. I'm fine. Listen, I'll call you back soon." Ayame says quietly, her breathing is starting to settle. Ayame hangs up and Ringo's worried about Ayame. Is she okay, wherever she is? Ryuk comes back and perches on a tree branch above Ringo. Her mother's taken a pew under a tree, she's taking time out.

"Sloane's about one hundred meters from your house. She's with Ayame." Ryuk says candidly. Ringo tosses an apple into the air. His arm darts out like a viper and he catches it. Ringo gazes at Ryuk, expecting more answers. "Ayame wasn't hurt as far as I could see. Toshi-kun had a knife." Ryuk says gravely, chewing on the apple. A knife? Oh shit. This is bad.

* * *

><p>Ayame called back. Toshi had to return home because the police wanted to talk to him. They're keeping him under watch. Ayame gave the phone back to her dad to give to Toshi, saying he had dropped it. Ringo sighs and curls up on the sofa, "Well, man, those twin guys. They were actually cute. Too old for us though. And they're dead. Oh sweet irony." Ayame sighs, painting her toenails white and then polka dotting them with blue spots. It's been one hell of a day.<p>

"Well, you still haven't told me about Shigure. Spill." Ringo replies nonchalantly, glancing to her friend. Ringo's painted her nails red, not like she's going out anywhere but hell, just for kicks. Sloane is in the kitchen, occupied with a bowl of raspberry jelly. Ringo's kept Ryuk out of the kitchen with at least twenty apples to stop both shinigami wrecking her kitchen. Her mother is out of the house, she's gone out to town for some mystery reason.

"Ugh, fine. Shigure..." Ayame replies tenously, she rummages around her pocket. She tugs out a folded-up photo from her pocket. The photo's signed because Ringo can see writing on the back. Shigure is handsome: an angular face, a prominent jaw, bleached pink hair and deep brown eyes. Then it struck her. "What's wrong?" Ayame asks suddenly, taking a hold of her friend's bicep. Her friend's face has turned white as a sheet.

"That's... That's... That's the other boy I saw... In the photo at Toshi's house!" Ringo exclaims, she eyes the photo. Yes, it's that same face. The hair has changed obviously but everything else is there. "That's definitely him. Oh god." Ringo mutters softly, clutching at her chest and starting to tremble. Ringo's heart just stopped. Sweat trickles down her temple. She's frightened beyond measure. What does Shigure know?

"I think we need to have another talk with Hikaru-kun." Ayame whispers, putting a gentle hand on Ringo's shoulder. Ryuk floats casually into Ringo's room and lounges down on her bed. "Ryuk-sama, can you take us back to Purgatory?" Ayame asks the shinigami, letting go of her friend's arm. Wait, what? Ryuk-_sama_?

"Well, I'll need more apples of course," Ryuk replies coolly. Ringo's eyes narrow into dangerously low slits. That 'weight' in apples was bloody expensive and she's not going to buy him another lot. Damn Ryuk, damn him. "Purgatory awaits but so does Ringo's offer. What will she give me?" Ryuk says tauntingly, his Glasglow grin adds to the overall mockery.

"Ugh, fine. But if you go back on your deal, I'll twist you into a pretzel, your Royal Assness. Don't even think for a second that I'm a softie." Ringo warns, her eyes narrow dangerously. Truthfully, Ringo is annoyed. Her mother is going to kill her for buying so many apples. The price for said apples was astronomical and Ringo's dumb enough to comply to Ryuk's bidding of buying him apples again. Damn Ryuk and his emo clownishness. "We'll go at dawn. I'm too tired to leave today. Also, we need a plan to deal with Toshi. We can't kill him because the police are watching him." Ringo says warily, placing her nail polish back on her dressing table.

"Yeah. And my dad found a fingerprint on your Dad's business card. He's going to search through the database for a match." Ayame replies casually, finishing her pedicure. This means Ringo's even closer to finding her father. Oh, the very thought of it is so exciting. If only she knew now. Her mother's not going to tell her and Ryuk's not going to tell Ringo her real name. Because he always asks for bribes. Grrrr... She is going to blackmail him with apples on day, give him a piece of her mind, oh, she's going to kill him whenever she can.

"The news is wonderful. Thanks for that, I needed that." Ringo replies, a small smile appears on her face.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**AN: Hi, I'm back from my holiday! It was fabulous; barbecues, horse-riding, beach walks and an all-out classic Kiwi beach trip. **Unfortunately, my computer deleted most of the chapters I was working on, much to my annoyance. This included both the SoW chapters and the thirteenth chapter of AotAT. I managed to save this one. So, I'm very sorry about that, I'll try to rewrite them.****

**Secondly, I'm sorry but when I last released this chapter, Fanfiction was being a nuisance and only posted part of it. I tried to post the whole thing but Fanfiction was being rather... How to put it eloquently? Annoying. Irritating. Pain in the butt. Yes, Fanfiction, I love you so but technical errors irritate me down to the bones.**

**But before I continue, I need to acknowledge some reviewers, because I like to thank them personally for reviewing.  
><span>WolfishMoon <span>Thank you so much for the review! When I got home this morning, I read your review and literally jumped for joy. Thanks so much!  
><span>Una Feltheart <span>Haha, Toshi is one hell of a fruitloop, I'll agree with you on that. And yes, nuttyness is a word. I found it in the dictionary but it's spelt with an 'i' instead on a 'y'. Personally I prefer the 'y' spelling. And yes, that new trailer looked amazing =O  
>I have to try the new game out sometime! And hehe, I'm a bit of a workaholic ;0<strong>

**And the math challenge was accepted, haha! I spent an hour working out this problem.**

**So, the heaviest flying bird (a wandering albatross) weighs 6-8 kg (13.2 - 17.6 lbs).**  
><strong>Any heavier would disable the ability to fly for any object, which is why human beings can't fly. So, a shinigami must be very light.<strong>  
><strong>So, a bag of four apples is 398 ¥ and the average apple is about half a pound (.23 kg)<strong>  
><strong>So, let's say Ryuk is eight kilograms. Eight kilos divided by .23 kg is 34.78 kg (76.52 lbs) and I'll round that up to 34.8 kilos. (76.56 lbs)<strong>  
><strong>A bag of apples is .92 kg.<strong>  
><strong>So, eight kilos of apples in Japan is 7.36 bags but cut that down to seven bags.<strong>  
><strong>So all in all, it cost about 2786 which is $45 NZ dollars. :D<strong>  
><strong>Problem solved! :3<br>**

**So, now that's solved, I shall go forth and write Chapter Twelve. Enjoy my lovelies :3**

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on. Enjoy!****

**Chapter Twelve**

So here Ringo was, back in Purgatory. The familiar surroundings, the familiar sounds... Nothing has changed. Ayame's gone in already and Ringo's still outside the gate. She still owed Light Yagami an ass-kicking for leaving behind an unwanted legacy, killing dear (not-so-innocent) Tweedledum and of course, Tweedledee. Mostly the legacy part though, Ringo wasn't happy that Light Yagami had to go off and die and she got this Death Note bullshit dumped on her.

"Ringo, we meet again." Beyond Birthday greets Ringo, his voice slightly dulled. He isn't very pleased to see Ringo. L isn't far away, trying to convince Ayame into giving him some candy she had brought with her. Ayame has a particular craving for M&Ms. Ringo sighs and gives Beyond Birthday a jar of strawberry jam, she will come here often to talk to Hikaru so she brought jam as a gift for dear Tweedledum.

Ringo can't kill Toshi because the police are protecting him and if he died suddenly, they'd be on her tail and that's the last thing she needs. She's kept her killing ratio on the down low in the past week, mostly occupied with her own investigations.

She takes out a chocolate bar and just before she begins the painful process of unwrapping it, this blond guy walks up to her. "Hi, yeah, I'm going to have to ask you to give that to me." The blond demands, his blue eyes fixed on the chocolate bar. Ringo grasps her chocolate bar protectively, no one can take her chocolate! Ringo's gaze transfixes on the blond.

"No! Get your own!" Ringo answers brashly, unwrapping the chocolate and taking a bite out of it. Ayame's talking to L and she's surrendered her M&Ms to L. Gods know why. Probably blackmail. The blonde sighs irritably, the poor bastard probably hasn't eaten for quite a while.

"Look, just give me the damn chocolate!" The blond yells, his nostrils flare in anger. Ringo pauses, this blonde chick again? Ayame sighs and walks away from L, who's eating her M&Ms. She doesn't look particularly pleased, it must've been blackmail after all. Damn. Poor Ayame, but most importantly, poor Ringo. Ayame's going to bitching and moaning to get her a new packet of M&Ms at the next 7/11.

"Sloane, tell me who the hell this chick is and why the hell she is bothering me?" Ringo asks loudly, well within earshot, she's going to give this person - or rather, soul a piece of her goddamned insane mind. Ringo lost her mind quite a while ago. It started not long after learning Toshi was a serial killer, upon killing at least one hundred people and that chocolate bar at the movies. Are Ayame and Ringo demented or is Ringo disturbed?

"Mello, real name Mihael Keehl. He was killed by Kiyomi Takada with the Death Note on January 26th, 2010. He had mafia affiliations." Sloane drones on, eating a Jelly Tip icecream for the jelly. Sloane is irritated, and the expression on her face obviously states that. Ryuk confiscated her Jell-O indefinitely until she agreed to learn more of the shinigami-human bond.

Sloane hasn't been this angry before in her short life. She's considered young in shinigami terms, and finds it frustrating and annoying that she isn't taken seriously. Especially by his Majesty who she respects greatly. It's rather tragic that someone you look up to doesn't take you seriously.

"Right, Mello- Wait, he's a guy?" Ayame asks incredulously, she looks back and forth between Mello and Sloane. Ayame stifled a snicker. Mello does kind of look like a girl, but he is rather attractive in those rather fitted leather clothes. Hmmm... But anyway, the very thought of it makes Ayame desperate to hide the laughter bubbling in her chest.

"… I'm _not_ a girl!" Mello snarled rabidly, Ayame then laughed so hard she began to choke. Mello's eyes narrowed. That succinctly spelled out _drop dead, girl. _But in this case, Ayame's oblivious to his threat. Ringo cracks an impish smirk, and Mello looks like he wants to hole-punch her face. But there is no hole-punch in sight and technically, since Ringo's alive, she's untouchable here. Or so she thinks.

"Holy... HAHAHAHAHA!" Ayame bursts out, then she starts laughing hysterically. Tears gather in Ayame's eyes as she holds her stomach and points at Mello. Tears gather in the corner of her eyes as she tries to suck in enough air to actually breathe while laughing her ass off. It... really doesn't work though.

"Ayame, calm down. It's really not that funny." Ringo says bluntly, rolling her eyes at her friend's antics. Mello gives Ayame a dreadful glare but Ayame is entirely oblivious to either of the two.

Ayame spends a good deal of time laughing and pointing. This being until she has to gasp for air and wipe the tears from her eyes. "The FUCK-" Ayame says loudly, staring at the now infuriated blond. Ayame stops as a small bout of giggles makes her gasp for air. Mello looks livid, Ringo passes him some of the chocolate. Ringo motioned for Mello to come closer with a wag of her finger.

"Mihael, calm down okay? My friend's a nutcase, forgive her." Ringo says flippantly. Mello tries to protest and Ringo gives him a spare chocolate bar to shut him up. Ringo flails her arm in the air, trying to get Ayame to shut the hell up. Ayame can't shut up though, falling on her ass and rolling around on the ground.

Ringo closes her eyes and sucks in a large breath of air, her ample chest expanding underneath the tight tank top she wore. Usually she didn't wear something so fitted but today felt like a day to screw around and also, chat to Hikaru. Well, she didn't choose these clothes to chat Hikaru up, she just chose them. Today was a Sunday. Her last day of medical leave.

Ringo paired the faded red tank with a unzipped black hoodie, these ripped denim shorts and... flip flops. It showed more skin than she would of liked but hey, it was okay. Ringo wasn't known for being overtly modest.

Then, a redhead dude shows up punching the buttons on a Gameboy with his thumbs. "FUCK MY LIFE!" He yells as there's a burst of music and a 'Game Over'. Ringo turns her attentions over to the redhead, and sighs. Goddamn it. Purgatory is far noisier than usual today.

"Matt, what are you doing?" Mello demands, the redhead glances up, Ringo continues eating her own bar of chocolate. Her wine red bangs start falling in her face. She puffs them away with a sharp exhale. Ayame has finally gotten a hold of herself but a giggle escapes from her lips from time to time. Ayame's just cracked, she's now as demented as Ringo is. If only Ringo wasn't demented in the bad way.

"Ringo, I'm tapping on that if you're not." Ayame says nonchalantly, staring at the redhead known as 'Matt'. What. The. Hell. Ringo spaces out for a consecutive moment, which one did she mean? Mello or Matt? Well, probably Matt. Ayame has a thing for redheads. Ayame shrugs and sits down cross-legged on the ground, in chocolaty bliss. Well, Matt is rather attractive, he's a gamer, he has a passion for swearing... They'd probably be a good pair. But Mello, he may be more sweary, he's bad-tempered (ironic of his nickname), he's a chocolate lover, they're probably both demented... Hmmmm...

"Be my guest. I'm not 'tapping' on anything, Ayame. After Toshi, I've had enough of the romance melodrama for quite a while." Ringo drones, earning a snicker in response from her friend. Ayame's lips twisted into a salacious grin and her eyes took on that sultry look that spells out trouble in capital letters. Ayame was very audacious when it came to dating. She was successful on that front. Ayame was a few months older than Ringo, she was already eighteen.

Ayame put carefully measured distance between her relationships, mainly for time to recover. Her last relationship was a disaster - they had dated for about two years, then he dumped her for no explanation. Apparently, after he had so callously used her and then skiphopped over to the next chick who didn't even see it coming. To settle the quid pro quo for breaking her best friend's heart, Ringo broke his face (nose, fractured jaw and black eyes), his right arm (including hand, the one he wrote with) and she cracked a few ribs. Ringo got in trouble with school because it happened there and she was suspended for five days. He learned to avoid Ringo though, and all other guys knew it was wise to not mess with Ringo either.

It took Ayame six months to get over him - all the while Ringo kept her busy with video games, chick flicks, chocolate ice cream and cake. Ayame also took to the gym, resorting to exercise. Ringo glanced at Ayame, who snickered at her "You don't know what you're missing, babe." Ayame calls back teasingly, Ringo feels hotness coming to her cheeks. She shook her head free, and averted her gaze away from her friend.

"Mellow. Synonyms... Charming, sweet-tempered, good-humored, kind..." She says cheerfully, she glances at Mello and smirks cruelly. 'Mellow' her ass. Mello's glare makes Ringo's blood run cold. But she can feel a certain hotness flood her cheeks, oh gods _forbid. _Is she blushing? Ringo thought the blushy, crushy schoolgirl phase. It's so blatantly obvious that she's sizing Mello up and that blew her cover.

"Mels! This Boss - he mocks me - _mocks _I tell you!" Matt cries in despair, to which Mello appears to give zero fucks. Oh. Bosses. Ringo dislikes, no, understatement _despises _bosses. Huge unnecessary pain in the ass and a waste of good energy. Well, that being if it turns out there are no rewards after fighting them. Ayame then gets up, finally getting a grip on herself.

"I can... Errrrr... Help you?" Ayame says sheepishly, slowly making her way over to Matt. So much for salacious grins and sultry eyes. Ayame had never gotten so worked up about a guy, other than Shigure. Matt then turns his attentions to Ayame and smiles.

"Oh lord. Here we go." Ringo mutters, glancing away. Ayame was such a flirt, it wasn't even funny. Though, it's one of her adorable qualities. However, it can also be one of her annoying qualities.

"'Kay, Ringo here is the real gamer but I'm fully capable of... Y'know, annihilating your boss problem." Ayame says shyly, she's actually losing her composure. Ringo snickers. Ayame, the psychologist's daughter, is losing her frost. Ayame twiddles her fingers, steadily turning redder by the second. She's worse than Ringo. Mello cocks an eyebrow and moves out of the way. Matt sits down and Ayame directs the button punching. That Gameboy is going to explode, Ayame is tapping the buttons furiously. Poor, poor Gameboy.

Ringo's too shy to talk to either of the two guys, L stares at her. The sides of his mouth are stained rainbow from him gorging on Ayame's M&Ms. Ringo glances away, shifting her gaze between Ayame and Matt and Mello. Damn it all. Just stop thinking and talk! "So, Mihael - er, Mello, would you like more chocolate?" Ringo asks gawkily, rummaging through her pockets. So much for subtlety. Ringo couldn't pull off Ayame's act to save her life. Ringo holds up her third chocolate bar, offering it to him. This isn't the best way to start a conversation but hell, it's good enough in Ringo's eyes.

"Give it here," Mello demands, holding his hand out. Ringo gazes at Mello disapprovingly, crossing her arms over her chest. "_Please._ There, I never say please." Mello says gracelessly, rolling his eyes. Women and their pleasantries. Honestly. Ringo smiles slightly and surrenders the chocolate bar. Mello sits down and gorges himself on the chocolate bar. "Hey, what's your name?" Mello mutters smoothly, glancing at Ringo.

"Errrr... Ringo Anonymous." Ringo answers sheepishly, shoving her hands in her hoodie pockets. They're twitching erratically. Mello smirks slightly, biting off a shard of chocolate. "It was Ringo Logan though. Though, Ringo's fine." Ringo says calmly, now stay frosty, Ringo. Ringo brushes a stray bang out of her face and tucks it behind her ear. Her dark brown eyes glance away from Mello, she's shy. Why today?

"Hey, Miss. Flirt, I'm over here." Hikaru interrupts loudly, waving her over. Oh, perfect timing. Now she's never going to convince Mihael to talk to her. She's out of chocolate bars. Curse you Hikaru. "Hello. I see that you died. Welcome to Hell." Hikaru says sarcastically, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Yeah, you have lovely weather here." Ringo replies sardonically. Hikaru tents his eyebrows. Mello continues eating his chocolate bar, ignorance is bliss. Ringo's smile is perfectly innocent and calm but her eyes are betraying her inner state of mind. Ringo gives Hikaru a dreadful glare. Hikaru balks slightly. If glares could kill... That girl has a glare terrifying enough to make the most terrifying serial killer pray for his life.

"I'll keep it simple and to the point." Hikaru says candidly, staring at Ringo. He sucks in a breath of air. Hikaru's not happy, not at all content."What the hell are you doing in Purgatory?" He asks abruptly, looking straight at Ringo, he put his ass on the line for her and now, she's back for more information. Soon enough, Ringo's going to squeeze everything out of him like he's a carton of orange juice.

"Look, I know how to kill someone twice so let's not screw around. I want answers to my questions and you will give them." Ringo demands hotly, her dark eyes boring holes in Hikaru's forehead. But how can you kill someone twice? Isn't that impossible? Well, Ringo is improvising a plan.

"Oh please. You can't bring back someone from the dead." Hikaru counters, a mocking smirk on his face. Ringo narrows her eyes, daring him to question her more. Ringo sighs irritably, and glances at Mello.

"Sorry, Mello, I have to deal with Hikaru McFreaking Kurenai. Be right back." Ringo says in a mocking voice. She glances at Hikaru and smiles innocently like the kitten that dumped a dead rat on your face. Hikaru winces. He's so dead... Again.

"Yes, you can do the impossible. But, let's face it Ringo. You can't touch me." Hikaru replies coolly, his face is entirely free of concern or care. Ringo raises an eyebrow, a eyebrow that states _Is that a challenge? _Ringo then crosses him arms over her chest and stands up, striding over to Hikaru. Her eyes flash dangerously and Hikaru gulps.

"Look, Hikaru, I will put this simply. A vacuum cleaner, a human being and a metal baseball bat can get you a long way with a soul." Ringo replies bluntly, gazing right at him. Holy fuck, so she _can_kill someone twice. Shit. Hikaru chews on his lip thoughtfully. Oh. So that's how she can do it.

Ringo's cleverer than he thought. He'll be sure to never underestimate her again. But he won't betray his friend again, he only did because... Well, he doesn't have a reason, but he's not a crime informant, he can withhold information. "Alright, fine, you can have your spilled beans. But, in exchange for a packet of jelly beans." Hikaru replies calmly, his smile is mocking. Ringo's face fell and she gazed at Hikaru, aghast. He's playing her. Ringo will have to play god then. Ringo narrows her eyes and she thinks of a plan.

_**Ringo's Method: How to kill someone twice**_

_Step One: Acquire a vacuum cleaner._  
><em>Step Two: Acquire a dead body.<em>  
><em>Step Three: Suck the soul into said vacuum cleaner.<em>  
><em>Step Four: Force soul to inhabit the corpse.<em>  
><em>Step Five: Get the metal baseball bat from her duffel bag and beat the shit from the soul.<em>

"Sloane, the Death Note, please and thank you." Ringo asks calmly, her eyes glued on Hikaru. What is she up to? Sloane passes Ringo her Death Note and Ringo takes a ballpoint pen from her pocket.

She clicks it, and then opens the book to a blank page. She writes a name down onto the Death Note and Hikaru watches, slightly amused. What is she up to? Then he pales with dread as she writes something else down. What is a Death Note, some dark magic crap? Well, he didn't take Ringo to be into this stuff.

"Oh, what the fuck? Are you into voodoo or some shit?" Hikaru replies sarcastically, he watches her. She cannot be for real.

"Sloane, I want you to go acquire Renard Loxley's body. He's located in a criminal mental institute in Florida. Originally sentenced to death in two days. Secondly, a vacuum cleaner." Ringo requests serenely, but her gaze betrays her inner state of mind. She intends to give him the second death.

Sloane tries to protest but Ringo gives her a menacing glare. Is she Kira, the most notorious serial killer(s?) in history? Wow, Hikaru isn't very surprised. The girl's demented. But this scares him down to his non-existent bones.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll tell you! Just don't kill me again!" Hikaru finally gabs, his composed face is now fairly ruffled. Ringo arches an eyebrow and then invites Hikaru to sit down. Hikaru is genuinely afraid, Ringo is a mad genius.

In fact, Hikaru's seen someone called Beyond Birthday who likes to converse with someone called L. They are constantly challenging eachother, and she resembles Beyond Birthday's madness. She is a serial killer after all, and a rather viciously intimidating one. Her glares could kill.

"Alright, Hikaru-kun, please talk. For the sake of my sanity or whatever's left of it." Ringo demands coldly, starting to get impatient. She needs to know how to deal with Toshi before he kills someone else. He's untouchable being under police protection and she can't kill him with a heart attack. Perhaps accidental death or suicide might do the trick.

But she needs to keep him alive, he knows about her real father. If she killed him, she'd never know. She has to find a way to stop him from killing but keep him alive. But with Toshi out of the way, she can have peace of mind and she can continue her investigations. Though, despite everything, she feels like she can't kill him.

"Listen, at the back of my neck, there's a mole. That's where he injected that insulin. He had me restrained by another guy, an accomplice..." Hikaru admits reluctantly, his eyes flick to the side. An accomplice? This is getting interesting. So, Toshi is a serial killer and some mystery man is his accomplice. Mello's nearly finished with his chocolate bar so she needs to hurry up and finish this questioning session. She wants to get to know Mello, he seems like an interesting guy.

"Who is he? Who's the accomplice?" Ringo demands, her fingers intertwine in her hoodie pockets. Ringo's suspicions lie with Shigure, because they were a circle of friends during childhood. He might be the accomplice. She even wonders if Hikaru killed anyone himself. A circle of serial killers. The ringleader being a disturbed stalker.

Ringo kills for a reason, to protect the innocent. A serial killer killing serial killers and criminals. Though, that isn't even a good excuse. She's going to end up here in Mu or Purgatory like everyone else. And when she does, she is going to garotte Light Yagami with her shoelaces for making her deal with this.

"He isn't who you think it is. Shigure doesn't know anything about this, Toshi kept him out of it. Toshi said he wasn't the right material for a serial killer." Hikaru replies meekly, looking to the ground. The right material? ... The fuck does that mean? Anyone could transform into the cold-blooded killers that turn up in society. Serial killers aren't born, they're made to be serial killers. Though, that is an extremely disturbing thought for Ringo.

Ringo has changed her killing methods, occasionally killing a string of criminals with heart attacks to let the world know she isn't dead but she kills most of her victims with different methods so the police won't go searching for her.

"Well, then, quit stalling and tell me who he is." Ringo urges in anticipation. Ringo's impatience is overbearing, she slams her fist down on the stony ground in frustration. Hikaru glances at her and shakes his head. Hikaru is a strange being, he's kind and thoughtful yet he's fiercely loyal and refuses to betray his friend again. He has a strange sense of loyalty towards Toshi, the person that killed him because he thought Hikaru would gab to Ringo about knowing about her father. Hikaru is so weird.

"I don't know. Honest. Look, I did some bad things..." Hikaru replies sadly, melancholy a heightened tone in his voice. "But at least I acknowledge myself as being guilty. Toshi honestly doesn't give a damn, he kills whomever's in his way." Hikaru says quietly, holding a rock in his hand.

"Hikaru, help me. I'm begging you." Ringo implores, glancing at him. Hikaru shakes his head, tossing the stone as far as he can. It narrowly misses Ayame, who's focusing intently on beating Matt's boss that she didn't even notice.

"He banged up some guy because the guy was a total ass to you. He's obsessed with you and he's pissed off because he's found out that you know he killed me." Hikaru whispers fiercely, slight dread clouds his eyes. Ringo swallows her fear back down, Toshi is one hell of a nutter. "I know that because I see him and hear him. It's insanity..." Hikaru murmurs softly, pulling up trodden stones from the cold earth.

"Well, if it's that way then I have to kill him. But Hikaru, I can't... Oh my god, I think I..." Ringo replies bitterly, she can't bring herself to say that word, describe that feeling she feels. She may be Kira and she may contradict herself by thinking this but Toshi is a cold-blooded killer. She has to roadblock him, control him and keep him restrained. Otherwise, she won't have a choice other than killing him.

"Well, you have to kill him. There's no other way... However, don't use the Death Note. The police will come after you, they've barely settled down since the last episode. You'll have to figure out another way to kill him yourself, subtly and discreetly." Hikaru replies candidly, his eyes say nothing to console her. Ringo's heart plummeted down at those words. She didn't want to hear these words.

"Then how? If I actually kill him with my own hands, I would never forgive myself." Ringo replies, placing her palms flat against the ground. What the hell is she even thinking? She can't kill someone herself. The Death Note gave her distance, it made her believe that she couldn't be held responsible. Ringo can't close that distance and kill someone by her own hands.

"Make it look like my death, Toshi made it look like I committed suicide but you have to make it cleaner. My 'suicide' had holes, you need to repair any holes with his." Hikaru says calmly, but it doesn't help one bit. Ringo looks down at her lap, her hands are on her lap. Her fingers have knotted together and she bites down hard on her lip. She can't do this, she can't.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**AN: ****Hi, I'm back! Unfortunately, my holidays are over which means that I have to go back and forth writing schoolwork and so on. This basically means I'll be updating less often, but I'm still alive! I'll update every weekend also. I'll try to keep SoW and this story alive so don't worry. I'll be updating weekly.**

**Secondly, thank you Una Feltheart for reviewing again! Yes, hehe, my holiday was refreshing. And suitcase sneaking =O I like your thinking!  
>If <strong><strong>only my holiday had been longer. I don't like working. And no, you're not a terrible speller. In fact, I'll tell you that I preferred the nuttyness version. It should be that spelling :  
>And haha, that's my logic speaking. Ryuk could weigh anything but hey, that's his weight by pure scientific theory. (Haha!) And yes, <strong>2786 <strong>¥ is relatively expensive in apple terms :p<br>And haha, Ryuk could be pushed over with a poke *pokes Ryuk* :D  
>So thank you Una ;3<br>**********

**Tomorrow I'm posting a Valentine's Day Special for all my fanfictions ~  
>I'm posting the SoW chapter tomorrow as well :)<br>****So, keep a look-out ;3**

**Enjoy my lovelies and review cookies are much loved and needed ~**

****EDIT (20/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on. Yay, nearly done!****

**Chapter Thirteen**

Ringo sits cross-legged on her bed, if only the world was simpler. She's been awake all night, simply pondering. She has to kill Toshi, a serial killer that's clinically insane and quite possibly, the man she's in love with. Toshi, how on Earth could she love him? He kills innocent people for selfish reasons, he's her polar opposite. Secondly, Toshi is clinically insane. Thirdly, she knows barely anything about him, and what she does know could be utter lies. How on Earth could she ponder on loving him? Perhaps, she cared for him, she'll never know.

"Hello, Ringo." A familiar voice greets her, but not even remotely in a friendly tone. Not at all. Ringo's head snaps in the direction of her doorway, her heart leaping into her throat. Mello. Ringo gazes at Mihael Keehl, incredulous. "Look, I was bribed with a lot of chocolate... So, this isn't any of my generosity. Secondly, I was _forced_ to help you. I'd rather be in Purgatory, frankly." Mello says in an irked tone. Ringo turns her attentions to her window, oh good. No other dead people, yet. Is it a Death Note victim get-together? And then as a party game, everyone busts out the Kira piñata... The living, _breathing_ Kira piñata.

"So, my friend sent a mafia boss to protect me from a serial killer? This is her craziest idea yet." Ringo mutters blankly, reaching for a volume of Akazukin ChaCha, gripping onto it for dear life. She's out of chocolate. Mihael's going to be more annoying than Ryuk now. So now, she's got two shinigami and a dead person living in her house. Fucking great, she has to look after all of them now. She had enjoyed living in solitude while she did.

"In a nutshell." Mello replies casually, retrieving a chocolate bar from a jacket pocket. Ayame is borrowing Sloane's Death Note so Ringo assumes she borrowed her 'second death' technique, modified it and made it a second life technique. She's a mad genius, and also as two side jobs... A kidnapper of the deceased and a bodysnatcher.

"Ringo-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! Help! Ryuk is hyper again!" Sloane chides down the hallway and Ringo moans irately. Ringo is going to garrotte the next person that bitches and moans at her. Ringo is a real introvert and these undead creatures staying at her house is a real issue. There were several problems with them living here.

One: She does all the shopping and they'll all be writing an overload of unnecessary shizz on her list. Good quality chocolates, Jell-O and a frick-ton of apples...  
>Two: She's never going to have any peace to study, or even play video games.<br>Three: She has a personality clash with all three of these individuals.  
>Four: She's really going to have trouble sleeping at night at the thought of dead people and gods of death in her house.<p>

Ringo facepalms and shakes her head at the thought. "Oh hell no... I'll be right there! Don't let him in the kitchen or living room!" Ringo answers back, getting up with a start. Ringo glances at Mello, "Oi. Mels, I need your help. Drop the chocolate bar and grab the closest piece of rope you can." Ringo orders loudly, rubbing her eyes. Mello stares at her, continuing to devour his beloved chocolate bar, ignoring Ringo. "Hang on him Sloane!" Ringo yells, dashing down the hall. Sloane is trying to pin a hyperactive Ryuk down.

"Ringo-san, Ryuk-sama has eaten too many apples..." Sloane moans loudly, grappling the shinigami with all her might. Ringo then headbanged against the wall. Why on Earth did she promise the seven bags of apples? Firstly, that's going to start getting expensive with ten days' worth of that deal will be twenty thousand yen. That's ten thousand less than a mini LCD portable television. Hellfire.

"Alright." Ringo announces quietly, gaining everyone's attention. Ringo then rubbed her temples, trying to think of a way to keep Ryuk calm. A hyper shinigami is trouble, especially because they can pass through walls and they can pass through rope. So, how to keep him restrained?

"Yes?" Sloane replies, wrangling the older shinigami. Ryuk is squirming like a fish caught in an octopus' grip and frankly, the whole thing is a disconcerting sight. Ringo groans and suppresses the urge to just rip up the Death Note and grate it in the waste disposal. Gods.

Ringo chews on the tip of her thumb thoughtfully. "Sloane, here's what you're going to do. You are going to take Ryuk out of this house. You are going to take him back to the shinigami world. Then, you are going to lock him up in his throne room or whatever the hell he sits and watches over his 'subjects'. This job has several parts." Ringo says calmly, glancing down at the shinigami. Ryuk struggles to push Sloane off. Sloane twists Ryuk's arm, ignoring the shinigami's protests.

"Fine. Anything else?" Sloane replies in an irritated tone, furious that she's stuck with babysitting a hyperactive Ryuk. Yes, she admired the king, but when he's like this, it only irritates Sloane to no end. Sloane seriously hates being a shinigami sometimes.

"Secondly, stop by Ayame's and kill her for me. Job two has two parts." Ringo instructs smoothly, glancing at the two shinigami. Ringo isn't very happy with her current living arrangement. Ayame just made it more complicated by bringing Mello into the equation. Ringo was already pissed with Ryuk, then Sloane coming in was no picnic. Then, Mello. Wonderful.

A mafia boss that's very attached to his chocolate is going to bring up one too many social issues. She isn't prepared to share her chocolate. She's already sharing her apples and her Jell-O but she's not prepared to share anything else. Even with her new bodyguard. Well, bodyguard was a rather loose term... Perhaps a forced labourer? But why Mello?

Ringo picks up the phone and just before she dials Ayame's number, the phone rings. It's Ayame. It's almost creepy, perhaps Ayame's a secret psychic. "It's me." Ayame chirps cheerfully, there's loud noises in the background, they sound very much like the sound effects of _Prince of Persia. _So Ayame didn't merely send Mihael Keehl, the mad genius/mafia boss to her home but she stole her video game as well? There will be blood.

"I don't know who the fuck me is." Ringo answers calmly, secretly she's pissed off at her best friend. Ayame's completely oblivious to her friend's fury. Ayame titters at her friend's reply, she's struggling to focus on the game but it's difficult to hold a console and the phone at the same time. Matt is parked on her couch, completely oblivious to Ayame's 'desperate' situation. Matt thumb-punches the console buttons.

So, she kidnapped two souls, killed two people and forced the souls to inhibit the bodies of said dead people. Ayame's scheme was very well planned. Ringo sighs. Ayame is morphing into a very unpredictable, and very dangerous individual. Gods know what she'll do next.

"Ayame, y'know your friend Nakamura Ayame." Ayame replies nonchalantly then she pauses. Then she realizes it. Ringo can hear the game sound effects. Oh crap, Ringo is going to kill her. Ringo does covet her video games... Well, Ayame has an excuse for stealing her friend's game. Actually, no. No, she doesn't. She better think one up quickly.

"Yes. I know." Ringo replies tersely, lounging on the sofa, her other arm languidly flopping off the side. She's looking forward to university when she can sleep in until ten and only attend a few lectures a day.

"Please don't kill me." Ayame says abruptly, supporting the phone on her shoulder and bending her neck to the side. She sandwiches the phone between her ear and shoulder, doing this while trying to defeat Matt in a video game.

"I'm too tired to kill you right now so consider yourself lucky." Ringo replies in a fatigued tone, covering her face with the back of her hand. God, this is killing her in more ways than one. "But no matter what, my video game better be back by five tomorrow evening or I'm going to send a hyperactive Ryuk your way." Ringo says in a cheerful tone, but it's far more threatening than it sounds. Ayame gulps down the other line and squeaks something incomprehensible.

Mello glances at Ringo, she hangs up with the press of a button and groans exasperatedly. Ringo sits up, crossing her legs and rocking in place. "Ringo, Sloane won't give me any more apples!" Ryuk complains loudly, writhing underneath Sloane. Ringo facepalms and groans again but this time, sounding more frustrated. Mello takes another bite out of his chocolate bar.

This is exactly like watching a sitcom for the clinically insane. Sloane, the smaller shinigami is sitting on Ryuk's chest and he's struggling to shove her off but with no avail. "Ringo!" Sloane calls to her loudly. Ringo doesn't respond, she's blacked out from complete exhaustion.

"RINGO!" Ryuk's voice echoes in the room, but she can hardly hear it.

* * *

><p>It was four in the morning and the sun had yet to rise for another hour. While most people in the house were still sleeping, there was one who was having their morning shower. Ringo got up off the sofa, blinking owlishly. Ringo glances down at her digital watch and growls under her breath. Who in the name of the gods has a shower at four in the freakin' morning? Sloane is perching on the kitchen bench, head tucked under one wing. Asleep. Ryuk is floating in the air, asleep. Even shinigami sleep, but only because they're lazy.<p>

So, it must be Mihael stealing all her hot water. He's paying the bill. Once his soul possessed the dead body, the new host body went through some appearance changes so he looked as he did just before he died or so Ringo believes. His host does now bear a striking resemblance to his soul. Well, Ringo doesn't know who Ayame killed in the first place. Hm. Kira is pissed off.

The sound of the shower becoming louder captured her attention - the sound was loud and it sounding like heavy rainfall. She glanced down the hallway and noticed, much to her surprise, that the bathroom door was still open by a few inches. It appears Mello didn't shut the door properly. Ringo could feel her cheeks grow scathingly hotter as the gap taunted her. '_Just one peek won't hurt! It's perfectly innocent!_' Some random voice declared from nowhere, Ringo's cheeks burned.

Ringo turned away, embarrassed. "Damn it Mihael! You can't shut a fucking door?" She hissed furiously under her breath, eyeing the door warily.

'_You know you want to! It's perfectly harmless for a teenager!_' The voice whispered relentlessly taunting Ringo with the gap before her.

"What harm could it do?" Ringo asked herself, then she smacked her own shoulder, trying to keep herself in control. She will not peep on Mihael. She MUST not turn into a peeping tom now. She's already a deranged schoolgirl with a Death Note, she can't make it worse for herself. "Damn it all. It wouldn't hurt just to take a little peek." She admitted to herself, inhaling deeply.

Ringo placed one carefully placed hand on the doorjamb and slowly leaned in to take an inquisitive look. Her heart was fluttering like a hummingbird trapped in her ribcage, she gulped in a mouthful of air to calm herself down. Ringo peeked through the door and tried to make out what was concealed beyond the steam. She could see Mihael's soaked honey blond hair, a bent arm as he scrubbed his side, a nicely toned chest- "Ringo?" Ryuk asks, about to poke her shoulder.

Ringo leaped backwards in fright and bumped straight into Ryuk. "Holy shit, Ryuk! I nearly had a heart attack!" Ringo whispered in a frightened tone, grabbing a hold of her chest. Ringo didn't even realise the irony of the statement as Kira. Ryuk chuckled and glanced at the open door. He never took Ringo to be a peeping tom. "Don't tell Mello." She squeaked timidly, glancing up at Ryuk with frightened eyes. Her real name was an interesting name, what she'd give to know it. But Ryuk isn't going to tell her, even as being King, he's not allowed. Even kings have rules to follow.

"Well, that depends, what will you give me, Ringo?" Ryuk replied nonchalantly, glancing down at the girl. Ringo's eyes transformed into narrow slits, she isn't very pleased that Ryuk is blackmailing her. "Well, I guess I'll tell Mihael that you were-" Ringo claps a hand over his overexpressed grin.

Ringo pushes him down to the ground with a hard shove. Ryuk gasped as he got back up, the air sizzled around Ringo. She has a worse temper than Light. When he tries to get up, she pushes him back down with a light poke. Damn, her fingernails are _sharp. _

"Don't you dare tell Mello about this, or I will _never _buy you apples again. Got that, your Majesty?" Her honeyed voice is laced with venom. Ringo glares down at Ryuk. There's fire in her dark eyes, and that glare is almost frightening. She stalks off to the kitchen. Counter-blackmail works wonders. Ringo starts packing her school supplies for the day in her satchel, and slips her Death Note into the back compartment. She will ask Ayame to return the other Death Note. Ringo has to find a place to keep these, someplace that not even Toshi would dream of looking for.

Mello then got out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Mello picked up his clothes off the floor - Ayame brought him some clothes for him to wear until he found other clothes to suit to his taste. A pair of baggy jeans, a t-shirt and battered sneakers. Hm. Not much but it'll have to do for now. Perhaps he'll 'borrow' Ringo's card and buy himself some clothes when she's at school.

He changes into his clothes and then shuffles down the hallway into the kitchen. Ringo's brewing herself some coffee, there are slight shadows under her eyes. Her eyes are a very intense dark brown, almost black. Her wine red hair is disheveled and messy, and she rubs the back of her neck and yawns. So this is Kira? "Where's the chocolate?" Mello demands loudly, Ringo shrugs it off but Mello could've sworn he saw a malicious glint in her eyes.

Ringo points to the fridge and pours herself a cup of coffee. She doesn't add milk or sugar. So, she likes black coffee. Hm. Ringo sips the coffee and then saunters out of the kitchen and sits down. It's still quite dark because the sun hasn't come up. Mello had figured that Ringo wasn't an early bird, she doesn't seem to be a morning person. "I hate my life." She mutters under her breath, she rubs the back of her head and sighs.

Ringo isn't an introvert but her home was her sanctuary, where she could take a break out of everything. Her parents started leaving her on her own when she was sixteen, trusting her to look after herself and the house; no guests, no parties and absolutely no BOYS. She's broken two of those rules in less than a week. But hey, rules are meant to be broken. Ringo might as well have a party now.

* * *

><p>Mello drove Ringo to school to meet up with Ayame at six. Ringo let him borrow her debit card in exchange to be driven to school next week. She told Mello he couldn't spend over five hundred dollars because that was the cap for a week's spending money. Ringo even let Mello borrow her father's motorbike, apparently her father had a Harley from when he lived in California.<p>

Ringo held onto his waist loosely, leaning on him slightly. The city streets were beginning to get congested with people trying to get to work. Good thing that he didn't borrow the car. Ringo's training for her driver's license and will get her restricted in two months, she's not legally allowed to drive herself to school.

Mello followed Ringo's directions. Ringo carefully slipped a chocolate bar in his jacket pocket, she was grateful that Mihael agreed to take her into town. She hardly used her debit card because she used her father's credit card to buy food. Her income and expenses deal with her parents was complicated. Food and other necessities such as water and electricity bills with paid by her parents. This being in exchange for following the rules and keeping up her grades. It was a good deal, her parents always wanted her to be a lawyer but Ringo doesn't really want to be a lawyer. She doesn't know what she wants.

"Turn here." Ringo muttered and Mello turned down the street. A pair of wrought iron gates rolled in view. A memorial tablet dedicated to Light Yagami was by the right gate. That's almost like an insult to L. Mello glares at the memorial. Ringo got off the motorbike and brushed herself off, smiling slightly. She's been on a motorbike before with Robin when she was a little girl, but this was exhilarating.

She should credit Robin as being her father. Robin raised her as one of his own, and even if he probably knew she wasn't his daughter. Why did everything have to turn complicated?

"See ya, Rin. Call me later when you want to be picked up." Mello says lackadaisically, revving the engine of the Harley.

"Thanks Mello. Bye." Ringo murmured, getting off the Harley. Mihael acknowledged her with a nod and drove off, leaving Ringo at the gates. Ayame was sitting in the courtyard nearby, waiting for her. That's strange, the gates are unlocked, at this time of day. Ayame was talking to someone else... It's Shigure! Ringo managed to catch some of their conversation, stepping in closer. She felt nosy for eavesdropping on her friend but she wants to know more of this mystery figure.

"My dad's the caretaker of the school. I'm supposed to be cleaning the school grounds because my dad has a cold and school's out." Shigure says quietly. Ringo smirks - well, at least school's out. This leaves more time for hanging out at the arcade.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Tell your dad to get well soon." Ayame replies solicitously. Ringo peers closer. What the hell? Shigure isn't even looking Ayame in the face. Jeez. Ayame's trying to be nice. What an ass.

"But listen. Nakamura, I like you. And I appreciate that you've fessed up about liking me, but I have a girlfriend." Shigure says candidly, he isn't even letting her down gently. Ringo is going to beat the crap out of this boy, how dare he reject her friend like that! After Ayame's messy breakup with Osamu Yoshida, this guy doesn't even have the audacity to be nice. How dare he.

Ayame nods reluctantly, a tear pools in her left eye. Shigure gets up and walks away, leaving Ayame alone on the bench. Ringo snarls. He didn't even apologize. Ayame furiously wipes the tears out her eyes and Ringo walks over slowly. Ayame then bolts in the other direction; she didn't even notice Ringo was there. Ringo stomps her foot angrily, cursing silently. What can she do?

Ringo hisses under her breath, the urge to rip Shigure a new one is boiling in her blood like a sinister concoction. Ringo then takes a step towards the school, and glances at the bench. Ayame left her bag behind, and when Ayame ran off, she knocked it off the bench. There is a cluttered mess of spilled cosmetics and other paraphernalia. The Death Note is splayed underneath the handbag. Ringo jogs over and picks up the Death Note, slipping it warily into her satchel.

Ringo then kneels down into an abject posture and begins packing everything back into her friend's bag. Ringo zips up the bag when she's done and carries it in one hand, searching for any signs of Ayame. Ringo saunters in the direction she saw Ayame running to but there are no signs of her anywhere. Where is she?

Her mobile rings in her skirt pocket and Ringo cringes. Damn it Mello, now isn't a good time. Ringo exhales exasperatedly and rummages around her pocket and retrieves the blaring phone. The caller I.D... It's not Mello, her parents, Toshi or Ayame. Then who is it? "What? I'm busy." Ringo asks in an irritated tone, who is it?

"Ringo, this is Sloane. Ayame's in serious trouble. Her lifespan numbers had changed. I noticed it this morning when she left for school." Sloane replied anxiously. Ringo's face fell when she heard Sloane's voice down the phone. Ayame's lifespan numbers have changed? Why? And how did Sloane know how to use a telephone?

Ringo then slings Ayame's rucksack over her shoulders, it's a moderately heavy weight on her shoulders. Ringo then darts around, searching around for any signs of Ayame. Then there's a burr down the other line, Ringo screams in frustration. "Sloane! Sloane, damn it! Sloane!" Ringo calls hysterically, her pace quickening to a sprint as she bolts across the school grounds. Panicked thoughts engulf her mind and she's immediately jumping to the worst conclusions.

She then dials Mihael's number, he gave it to her in case of an emergency but she didn't think she'd need it until now. "Hello?" Mello asks. He's standing in a store, rifling through the sales stuff. So far, he's found a good jacket, a vest and he's looking for other things in his size.

"Mihael! Oh thank God, I need your help! Get back to my school!" Ringo gabbles in a panic, desperately searching for any signs of Ayame. Mello frowns. What is happening over there? Ringo then finds a small splatter of blood on a brick wall. It's recent, still wet.

"Ringo, calm down and tell me what's going on. It really doesn't help when you're freaking the fuck out like this." Mihael replies calmly, there's background noise. He's in a clothes shop, searching through a rack. Ringo then stops dead in her tracks, looking closely at the splatter. She gently pokes the blood splatter. It's definitely recent. Ringo balks slightly.

"Oh Jesus..." Ringo whispers in a panicked tone, walking back slowly. There's a sickening crunch beneath her foot. Ringo winces and slowly looks down. She glances down to the ground beneath her feet and sees Ayame's phone. It's been stomped on repeatedly. It's shattered into thousands of plastic, glass and metal fragments. Ringo forgets to breathe.

"Ringo! Oi, answer me!" Mihael demands and Ringo then kneels down, and searches for more evidence. There are signs of a scuffle, there's foot imprints in the grass, scattered dust and broken stems. Ayame definitely fought. Toshi. That son of a bitch.

"Mihael, I don't have the time to go into depth. Just please... Show up otherwise I will go find her alone." Ringo answers brashly, getting up slowly. Ringo then exhales and hangs up, running along the wall. There's another drop of blood on the footpath. Ringo paces on further then she comes to the staff carpark. There are no signs of a car. Fuck. Stone cold trail.

Ringo slams her fist into the wall in frustration, needle-like sensations run up her arm. She waits at the staff carpark. Tears are beginning to spill down her cheeks. Mello then strides up from the side, and glances at Ringo. Ringo looks like a trainwreck, silent sobs jolt her chest and she leans against the brick wall for support. What the fuck happened?

Then a black car rolls up beside the gates, the windows are tinted but Ringo can see the silhouette of someone inside struggling. Ayame. Ringo sprints towards the gates and slams against them. Fuck, Shigure locked the gates again. Ringo's mouth twists into a snarl of frustration. Ringo slams herself against the gates, trying to force them open. Ringo glances towards the nearby traffic light, she's running out of time. In desperation, she slams herself against the gates again and the lock stretches and tenses.

She gives it a hard kick and the old, rusted chain padlock busts open and Ringo steps out. Ringo rushes towards the car, beating her hands against the window. Ringo tries to somehow bust the glass but it's stronger than she expected. Pain jolts through her knuckles, she slams her hand against the window again. The figure inside responds, beating against the other side of the window. Ringo's knuckles grow taut and Ringo can feel the skin beginning to break. She sees a small crack form in the window. Ringo slams her fist in the same place, feeling small slivers of glass dig themselves into her knuckles.

The traffic light abruptly switches to green and the car screeches away. Ringo pulls the Death Note out her satchel and scribbles down a name _Tanaka Toshi. Car Accident. _Ringo waits and waits for the forty seconds to run out. They are the longest forty seconds of her life. But the car isn't hit by anything, not even a raindrop. Maybe it's not Toshi. Or maybe, Tanaka Toshi is a pseudonym.

Ringo, on impulse, begins chasing the car down the busy streets of Tokyo. It didn't occur to her that she was nearly run over several times by cars or that she was jaywalking on a green light. "Ringo, you fucking dumbass." Mello growls as he starts the ignition of the Harley and goes after Ringo, who's quickly fading into the pandemonium of Tokyo suburbia. He runs a red light, earning several angry uproars in the traffic now far behind him. Now, where the hell did Ringo go?


	14. Valentine's Day Special

**AN:** **Hello, hello, this is Slushy! I have rewritten the Valentine's Special! I'm not dead! I lost the old one (it disappeared off the face of the planet ;_;) so I had to rewrite the WHOLE thing. Annoying, huh? So, I extended it so there's more random drabbles and humor. ;P**  
><strong>I will be updating the Serenade of Winter in the next few days! I've been up to my nose in homework and it took me two weeks to clear it all out of my way and I have a little more to deal with ;_;<strong>  
><strong>So, I shall officially re-release the Ashes of the Apple Tree Valentine's Day special and <em>never<em> mess with it again. Ever.**  
><strong>Enjoy it in all it's (crackish, maybe?) awesomeness. (lol) Anyway, this is a story completely unrelated to the storyline. 'Tis a one shot.<strong>

**By the way, Valentine's Day is slightly different in Japan. Instead, the girls give boys chocolate. There's two types of chocolate: _giri-choko_ which means obligation chocolates are given to bosses, colleagues or male friends that are just for friendship or gratitude. _Honmei-choko_ or true love chocolates are given to the boys who the girls like (prospective boyfriends), boyfriends and their significant others. The boys give back their own gifts on White Day, on March the 14th.**

**I learned this from my Japanese teacher, and I thought it was a cool fact ^.^  
><strong>

****EDIT (21/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on.****

**Valentine's Day Special  
><strong>

Ringo exhales, unlocking the front door. Valentine's Day was normal, as usual. Ryuk and Sloane bustle in, carrying stacks of boxes filled with delectable, utterly irresistible Valentine's chocolates. The boxes precariously balanced on top of each other, threatening to topple over. Ringo was traditionally supposed to give chocolates to some boy, but she didn't know who. Ringo instead, did as she did every year, and bought chocolates for herself. Toshi got homnei-choko from some girls. He didn't want them, so he gave them to her as he did every year.

Ringo marches into the kitchen, ripping the fridge door open. "'Where is it? Where is it? WHERE IS IT?" Ringo yells in a frantic voice. She panics, seemingly unable to find her carton of chocolate milk. Then she sees it, right in front of her. "Oh. Hehe." Ringo mutters sheepishly. She rubs the back of her head awkwardly, cradling the carton in the crook of her arm. Ryuk and Sloane spill the chocolate boxes onto the table, dashing towards the kitchen for apples and Jell-O.

"Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme!" Sloane whines loudly, stretching her arms out towards the bowl of jelly Ringo held jeeringly in her hands. "Ringo-chan, don't be so meeeeeeeeeeeean!" Sloane laments, Ringo arches an eyebrow. "Oh. Sorry..._ Please_ can I have the Jell-O?" Sloane mumbles politely, holding her hands out. Ringo nods and gives Sloane the bowl, leaving the room before she can witness any of Sloane's strange eating habits.

Ryuk doesn't bother to ask for apples, he just takes them. Ringo rolls her eyes and settles down to admire her offerings. This has to be the best holiday of the year other than Easter. Discounted chocolate, what more can a chocoholic ask for? Then the phone rings to break the awkward silence. Ringo groans. Ringo can't leave this chocolate unattended with Mello prowling around. Yet she has to answer the phone.

"Ugh. Goddamn you, stupid phone." Ringo groans loudly in frustration, rubbing her forehead. She glances at Ryuk, stretching out her arm and snapping her fingers to grab his attention. "Guard my chocolate. With your life if you must. If I find a single box missing, you'll be sorry." Ringo instructs quickly, getting up off the couch. Ryuk ignores the girl, she's relatively harmless. She can't touch him, or can she? Nah, go back to apple eating, nothing to be so bothered about. Ringo rushes down the hallway and snatches the phone from its cradle.

"Yeah, hi, it's Ayame. Are you and Mello still coming to Tokyo Tower with me and Matt? I'm friggin' hungry and remember that I wanna see the view." Ayame quips. Ringo can hear the sound effects of a Gameboy in the background. Ringo smacks her forehead. How could she forget? Damn! "The suspense is killing me. Answer. Now. I will not be reasonable any longer." Ayame demands impatiently. Ringo itched to check on that chocolate, could she depend on Ryuk to guard her chocolate? If only this telephone was wireless.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going... See you in an hour - can I call you later? I'm paranoid Mello's gonna eat my self-pity chocolate." Ringo replies irritably, glancing down the hallway. Ayame mutters something on the other line and the line disconnects with a click. Ringo then rushes out the door, forgetting to let go of the phone. She drags the detached phone down the hallway, too freaked to notice. Her chocolate... It's all vanished into thin air.

"Ringo, let me explain-" Sloane is interrupted by a wail of despair. Ringo tumbles to her knees in disbelief.

She raises her hands up to the sky dramatically with an anguished cry, "Why gods whyyyyyyy?" Ringo wails loudly, hardly able to get over it. She snaps her fingers pointing a finger at Sloane. "Sloane, tell me who you last saw with my chocolate and you shall be spared." Ringo demands stormily, her eyes piercing daggers into the small shinigami. Sloane squeaks in terror and seeks shelter behind Ryuk. It then hits her. "Mello. That son of a bitch. I'm going to fucking kill him." Ringo snarls savagely, edging over slowly down the hallway to Mello's temporary room.

She kicks open the door and her suspicions are confirmed. The door smacks into the wall, the room shudders from the force. Chocolate wrappers and discarded boxes clutter the floor and the one behind it all is sitting on his bed, eating her chocolate. Oh dear god. If he took her honmei-choko (which she still didn't know who she was going to give to yet)... Oh gods.

"This isn't what it looks like." Mello faltered nervously, the look on her face could kill alone. Mello feared for his chocolate-loving life right there, Ringo's eyes turned into narrow slits. Mello gulped, he's so fucked.

"It_ is_ what it looks like to me. Mello, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Ringo growls threateningly, her fingers curling around the heaviest encyclopaedia she could find on the bookstand beside her. "You better have one hell of an _amazing _excuse for this. Otherwise, I'll assume you are asking for a death wish." Ringo hisses lividly, edging forwards ominously. Mello edged away out of throwing range, backing away to the wall.

"Errrrr... Ummmm... Ahhhhh... I was... Test-tasting for poison. Yeah, poison." Mello stuttered frantically, backing away as far as he can. Ringo's dark brown eyes glinted ominously. Mello flinched. She then hurled the encyclopaedia at Mello. It hit its target flawlessly. Mello groaned, he fell backwards against the pillow with a light thud. The world grew dark.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* INTERLUDE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mello rubbed the bump on the crown of his head, hissing softly in pain when he touched a tender place. He glares at Ringo, he's undeniably pissed at her. Ringo smiles remorsefully. "I'm sorry, Mello. Does it still hurt?" Ringo asked solicitously, her eyes filled with genuine regret. Ringo leaned over to examine his head but Mello thrust her away roughly, pressing the icepack hardly onto the bump.

"You're not touching me, woman." Mello hissed coldly. Mello turned away sharply, refusing to look her in the face. Ringo sighed, disheartened. She felt terrible for throwing a book at him. Her and her friggin' oestrogen hormones. Sometimes, Ringo hated being a woman. Ringo headbangs against a concrete pillar, luckily not hard enough to crack her skull open.

"Sorry, we're late! We had to turn around 'cuz Matt forgot his Gameboy!" Ayame greets the group, waving over to Ringo. Ayame runs over from the cherry red 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454, then stopping right in her tracks. "Ouch. What's with the icepack, Mello?" Ayame asks gently, wincing as Mello shifts the icepack.

"Ringo threw an encyclopaedia at me." Mello replies quietly, hissing in pain as the icepack shifts slightly. Ayame glanced at Ringo and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Fine, I _may _have eaten some of her chocolate-" Mello is suddenly prodded in the ribs. "Would you stop that?" He hisses loudly at Ringo.

"Don't lie, you two-faced thief! You ate _all _my friggin' honmei chocolates! You got what was coming to you. You don't fuck with me and get away with it." Ringo snarls viciously, she can literally see red. Ringo strides past him, punching the 'up' button for the elevator with her index finger.

"I bet you two are going to be Valentines!" Ayame sang jeeringly, earning furious and very hostile glares from both Mello and Ringo. Ayame snickered impishly and went into the elevator, Matt stepping in beside her. "You can take the next one!" Ayame called out in a maddeningly taunting voice. Ayame winked and before Ringo could leap in, the elevator doors sealed shut.

Ringo cried out in despair, tapping on the 'up' button frenziedly like some mad squirrel. Another elevator opened and Ringo hurried in, Mello close behind her. As soon as the elevators shut, the lights switched off and the elevator was frozen in place. "Damn, this was the perfect time for an elevator to break down!" Ringo yowled furiously, trying to pry the elevator open with her hands but they refused to budge.

"Oh great, I'm trapped in an elevator with _you_. How could this get worse?" Mello moaned loudly, thumping the side of the elevator. They're probably going to kill eachother before two minutes is up.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Ringo cursed wildly, ignoring Mello's laments. Ringo kicked the door in frustration and huffed in displeasure. She was confined in a small, metal box with Mihael Keehl, her absolute worst enemy. As if today could get worse.

"Wonderful." Mello muttered sarcastically, glaring at the wall in front of him. The two sat in silence for what felt like hours. It had actually been a minute. Ringo then glances at Mello from side-on.

"So..." Ringo trailed off, trying to make conversation. They could be trapped in here forever. She might as well try to reconcile with him. "How's the errrr... weather?" Ringo asks stiffly, staring up at the ceiling. She will confess that's a terrible conversation starter but hell, she can't think of anything else that won't piss Mello off instantly.

"We can't see the sky in a bloody elevator. We can't even see_ anything_, you moron!" Mello snarled vehemently, his glare still fixed on the elevator wall. Ringo winced. Damn. Just how pissed off is he? Mello fidgeted around his pockets, searching for a chocolate bar.

"I'm sorry..." Ringo muttered coldly, averting her gaze away from the pissed off blond.

"Just fucking great. As if today could get worse." Mello complained loudly, trying to dig deeper in his pockets. Nothing. Mello was out of chocolate and he was stuck with the most obnoxious, stupid girl he'd ever met. On top of that, she has the shortest temper and she's more vicious than a rabid pit-bull. Oh, and did he mention that this was Kira he was talking about?

"Just... trying to make conversation..." Ringo murmurs quietly, twiddling her thumbs. She already said she was sorry, what more does he want? Or maybe he was just bashing her because he's still pissed at her? Well, damn.

"Well, I don't want to make conversation with _you_!" Mello hisses callously, not caring how cruel that sentence was. Ringo is silent. Ringo doesn't even have the heart to make up some smartass comeback. Ringo turns herself away, no way in hell she'll talk to him now.

"That was fucking cruel, Mello." Ringo whispers in an offended tone, moving to the opposite side of the elevator. Goddamn it all, she just wanted to go home and sock the hell out of a few baseballs. But she can't let him kick her down to the ground. She's not going down without a fight.

"Well, it serves you right! You're the one person I don't want to be stuck in an elevator with!" Mello snarls back, then suddenly Ringo's expression morphs into something pained. That did it.

"Well done, Mello. That was insulting on a number of levels in a rather concise way. I was only trying to be nice. Are you happy now?" Ringo bites back, her tone is sickeningly bitter and it makes Mello want to recoil. The sheer venom in her voice is just about enough to make Mello fear for his life.

"..." Mello is speechless, staring at the wall. Ringo wrenches her gaze away from him, hardly able to bring herself to sate her fury. That jerk always brought out the worst of her. Mello smirks, victorious. Though, there's a small feeling of guilt and apprehension. Ringo's going to be after his ass for this. And the worst part, is that she attacks when you least expect it. Ringo's just like a sleeper cell, maybe even worse.

"Why in the name of freakin' Kira, freakin' _me_ do you have to act like this all the time? What's your problem?" Ringo demands hotly, glaring at the back of his head. She's too angry to even consider reconciliation now. She's waging war and she doesn't care how much it's going to cost. No matter what, she's going to grill Mello's ass.

"Are you so stupid that you don't even realize that you are my problem?" Mello retorts, Ringo brought him into this argument and he's going to goddamn win it. Ringo snarled savagely, he did _not_ just call her stupid. He's going down!

"I'm the stupid one? Hardly! You, Mello, are the stupid one here." Ringo spits back, pointed an accusing finger at Mello. Mello was gawking at her. Did she just call him stupid now? Oh, she's going down!

"Don't even go there." Mello spat furiously, this girl is deliberately burrowing herself under his skin and getting on his nerves.

"Oh, I went there, I brought it back and served it on the table, jackass. You can dish it out but you just can't take it." Ringo retorts smugly. Ringo's eyes mock Mello, challenging him, _daring _him. Mello's glare is equally frightening, spelling out '_Challenge accepted_'. Then an exchange of insults of epic proportions ensues.

"Stupid." Mello hisses icily, his azure eyes adopt a menacing glint. Damn this hot-headed, annoying little-

"Jackass." Ringo retorts, her tone verging on a feral hiss. This guy has the audacity to be such a-

"Dumbass." Mello counters, folding his arms. This girl is driving him insane, she must be a-

"Jerk." Ringo snarls, her rage is boiling in her blood. To hell with this stubborn-

"Nutjob." Mello spat, clenching his fists. Damn this woman and her spitfire mouth for driving him near mad, this crazy-

"Asshole." Ringo scowls, her voice laced with pure venom. Why can't he just shut up already? She's always right, why can't this guy stop being such a-

"Bitch." Mello growls. He's just about fed up with this girl's bullshit. Can't she just admit that he's right? Damn it, this girl's nearly as irritating as that damn sheep Near-

"Bastard!" Ringo roars. Damn this blond for eating her bloody chocolate! Ringo isn't backing down, hell no. "You know, if you don't apologize, I just might stop buying you chocolate-" Ringo starts off, then Mello quickly cuts across her.

"Ugh. I'm _sorry. _There, I never say sorry." Mello replies blankly, glancing away. Her glare has softened and her face isn't twisted in fury. She somehow calmed down in the heat of an argument. She looks very smug. Damn her smugness.

"Thanks for the gesture, Mels." Ringo says gently, a strangely sweet smile on her face. Mello has a strange feeling about that smile.

"Uh... No problem, I guess..." Mello answers back casually, shrugging. Ringo smiles gratefully and nods in acknowledgement. And that is why she wins all arguments. Blackmail does wonders.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* INTERLUDE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Matt, have they made up yet? I will not be defeated! Never!" Ayame whines, she's being kept in suspense. Ayame attempts to sneak a peek, but Matt's monopolizing the screen. "Damn you! Lemme seeeeeee meanie!" Ayame wails, and Matt smirks. He huffs in disappointment where he sees a 'NO SMOKING' sign. Bugger.

"Yes, but it's edgy. Ringo and Mello are exact counterparts so they don't get along well. I told you this wouldn't work out." Matt replied nonchalantly. Ayame raised an eyebrow, as if she's asking _Are you questioning my intellect, Matt? _Ayame glances at the screen, and smirks. Those two are so adorable when they're both pissed at eachother - especially their exchanges of insults.

"Don't question fate, Matt. She won't take kindly to that." Ayame says, doing a near perfect imitation of her mother. Matt snickers, he continues staring at the screen. He returns to his game, he's playing Pokemon.

"Those two are always fighting, Ayame. They bicker more than a young _married_ couple, and they're not even an item." Matt replies flippantly, going into a Pokemon battle. The screen suddenly switches off. Matt's eyebrows furrow, he tries to turn the screen back on, then groans in dismay. The batteries are dead - and he didn't save his game. Oh hell. Matt glances at Ayame, friggin' _praying _she has spare AA batteries. "Do you have AA batteries, Ayame? I really need 'em." Matt begs Ayame, who glances down at the floor.

"I might do. Why?" Ayame replies, placing a hand on one hip and glancing at Matt. She then sits down beside him at their table, and leans back.

Ayame contemplates for a moment, purposely keeping Matt in suspense. "Tell meeee..." Matt whines, looking directly at Ayame. Matt is at Ayame's mercy, if she doesn't have batteries, he'll die from video game withdrawal.

"Mhm. You're lucky." Ayame sighs quietly, rummaging through her jeans pockets. Ayame discloses four AA batteries from her jeans pocket, placing them on the table surface. Matt snatches them up quickly, carefully breaking open the battery compartment in his Gameboy. "Matt... How long will the elevator be debugged again?" Ayame asked calmly, blinking owlishly at their surroundings. It's a seriously busy restaurant, mainly couples on a day out.

"Muh... Another fifteen minutes at least, if we're lucky." Matt replies smoothly, clicking a button and switching screens. Matt is now engrossed in Super Mario Land, in all its pixelated heaven. Oh, sweet, sweet Gameboy. He'll thank Ayame later. She just saved his life. Literally.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* INTERLUDE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What the hell are you doing?" Mello demanded sharply, hearing slurping and sucking sounds from Ringo's direction. It was disconcerting to say in the least, what was she doing?

"Eating, genius." Ringo bantered, taking another spoonful of raspberry jelly. Mmmmm... This might be a new favourite food. Oh sweet, delectable raspberry goodness.

"I gathered that. Eating what? Gelatinous goop?" Mello questioned sarcastically. She had food and she didn't care to mention it? They've been stuck in here for... Five minutes and Mello already feels like he's starving to death.

"Mhm. Jelly." Ringo answers tersely, taking another spoonful. Ah, good thing she had food on her. She could be stuck in here for all eternity and the idea is a bit daunting.

"If you exchanged that jar of jelly for jam..." Mello trailed off, glancing at the girl. If you pour red corn syrup or blood over her... She'd fit the image.

"You're comparing me to a jam-loving serial killer that kills people for the hell of it?" Ringo retorts vehemently, her tone bordering on an outraged hiss. She's insane but not_ that_ insane! And certainly not in the bad way, like Beyond Birthday.

"You are Kira." Mello pointed out, Ringo was dumbstruck. He's absolutely dead right... Damnation.

"Touché Mello, touché..." Ringo murmurs under her breath, damn Mello and his superb intellect... No, Ringo will NOT praise his brains. Never.

"Do you have chocolate?" Mello inquires abruptly. His stomach growls loudly, echoing through the elevator. Ringo glances in his direction. Damn, he's so hungry... Why did the elevator have to fail? They should've taken the damn stairs...

"I'm sure as hell not giving it to you! You ate my honmei-choko, you ass. That was not meant for you. You should've asked if you wanted chocolate, you greedy bastard." Ringo interjected furiously, her eyes aflame now. Here they go again.

"I was taste-testing for poison! You got jabbed with sodium pentathol by that nutter! No way in hell I'm trusting him. He spiked those chocolates. I just know it!" Mello retorted angrily, glaring at her. Ringo arches an eyebrow, it mocks him, spelling out '_Are you fucking serious?_'. Damn her and her skeptical glances.

"That is a good excuse but a terrible lie nevertheless. I know for a fact that you wouldn't even take a bullet for me. You would use me as your meat shield, despite the fact you're already dead." Ringo replies calmly, eyes roll at the back of her head. "So, why would you taste test contaminated chocolates? You hate my guts, don't you? In fact, you'd make _me _test-taste your chocolates." Ringo retorts smugly, proud that she's winning this argument already.

"God, you just love to win every argument, don't you?" Mello replies, knocking his head against the elevator wall. Fuck. This girl is more cunning than he thought. How is he going to get out of this one?

"Do you want some chocolate?" Ringo asks, she draws a chocolate bar from one of her pockets. She offers half a chocolate bar and Mello gawps at it. Do thine eyes deceive him? As far as he's concerned, that looks like the Holy Grail.

"Food!" Mello declares, pouncing on it and seizing it from her hands. Holding it to his chest lovingly, a wave of relief surges over him. Thank the gods, he's not going to die from chocolate withdrawal. The only aspect he likes about Valentine's Day was the discounts on chocolate and the chocolate itself. This also meant Mello was quite fond of Easter. A chocoholic's dream.

"I don't like Valentine's Day. It's always gonna be Forever Alone Day to the likes of me. I'm fed up with being single. Happy friggin' Forever Alone Day, to all singles." Ringo sighs, throwing her hands up in the air. She only got the same Valentine on White Day every year and he's that demented serial killer that damn near killed her. And he probably plans to kill her at some point anyway.

"Happy Forever Alone Day." Mello replies blankly, continuing to wolf down the chocolate bar. Oh, sweet, sweet chocolate. When Mello gets the hell out of this metal box, he's going to buy a frickton of chocolate.

Ringo leans back against the elevator wall, and exhales. She's bored stiff, bored to tears, and fricking bored to death. What could she do to kill time? She forgot her phone, her iPod and she even forgot her Death Notes. Well, technically, she can't see a damn thing in the dark so Death Noting wouldn't work out. And they're in Sloane's safekeeping anyway.

"We're going to be stuck in here for a while, by the gist of it... At this rate, Matt and Ayame will ditch us for Mario Kart and Prince of Persia." Ringo murmurs quietly, capturing Mello's undivided attention.

"What are you implying?" Mello asks nosily, he's intrigued. There's nothing to do, there's no more food and more importantly, there's no more chocolate. Damn. He might as well take note of what she's offering.

"I propose a bet. I will give up my best Swiss and French chocolates to whomever of us are the best..." Ringo trails off, creating a tense silence. Mello leans forward. Damn it, this girl is skilled at weaving in cliff-hangers.

"Just say it already!" Mello spits furiously, already losing his patience.

"... Is the better kisser. I warn you, I've had plenty of practice. If you lose, you will have to take me out on a chocolate shopping spree and pay all the bills." Ringo says provocatively, smirking to herself. "And of course, you get _none _of the chocolate. So, Mihael, are you going to turn tail and run?" Ringo finishes on a casual note. Ringo's eyes stare into Mello's, daring him, enticing him to take up the challenge. Kill some time.

Mello pauses, then a smile that could rival the Cheshire Cat's appears on his face. He chuckles. "I wouldn't dream of it, Ringo." He replies playfully, leaning closer to her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* INTERLUDE~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, Ayame, what's going on with those two? Are they still fighting?" Matt asks nonchalantly, half engrossed in Super Mario. Ayame glances at the blank laptop screen, a slight blush appears on her face.

Ayame hands over the earphones, snickering and covering her mouth with her hands. "That is pretty damn intense." Ayame exhales with a stunned sigh.

Matt wolf-whistles teasingly, driving Ayame into uncontrollable fits of laughter. Matt punches the air in triumph. "Score one for the Keehl!" Matt announces breezily, driving the two into fits of laughter.

"You owe me fifty thousand yen." Ayame sings cheekily, her eyes spark up. Matt pauses. Oh shit, he lost the bet. Well, that's one lesson learnt. Never get yourself involved in a pairing bet with a psychologist's daughter. They will win. Matt groans, dying to take a smoke. Damn it, why did there have to be no-smoking signs on his cigarette break?

"I'm broke. Can I pay you back in another way?" Matt gabbles, he quickly invents an excuse. He has plenty of cash. It's just... that's for video games and not for wagering bets. Ayame clucks her tongue, Matt bet with cash he didn't have?

"That depends, Matt," Ayame whispers teasingly, she leans forward, staring right into Matt's deep blue eyes with her own cobalt eyes. Those are awesome goggles. "What are you going to give me?" Ayame finishes on a seductive note. Matt glances at Ayame, her eyes have taken on a mischievous expression. Uh oh. he always knew Ayame was trouble in a pretty package.

"What do you want?" Matt asks smoothly, smirking at her. Ayame flashes an impish grin and stands up.

"Come with me. We can work something out." Ayame replies, a sultry look in her eyes. Matt follows Ayame outside, almost tripping over someone's chair. Someone growls at him, shaking their fist at Matt. Ayame leans against the railing on the balcony, staring down at the metropolis below.

Ayame should just shut up and confess that she likes Matt. She's had quarrels with her father because he disliked Matt. Why? He thought Matt would be a bad influence on her, her father detests smoking and video games. Ayame feels uncomfortable and nauseous about being up so high but she can't tell Matt about her acrophobia. Only Ringo knows about Ayame's acrophobia and she's kept it a secret for well over nine years.

Matt lights up a cigarette. He glances in Ayame's direction. She's quivering slightly and is gripping onto the railing as if she's afraid she's going to fall. Is she acrophobic? "What is it, Ayame?" Matt asks gently. He takes a puff of his cigarette and exhales. Mello hates it when Matt smokes at Ringo's house so Matt has to smoke outside whenever he's there, and that rule sucks.

Ayame's dad patronizes Matt's smoking habit so he isn't allowed to smoke within one hundred feet of Ayame's house either. Matt's only allowed to stay at Ayame's house in the attic, well away from Ayame. Ayame's mother is only allowing him to stay because he's got nowhere else to go. Ringo's already got two shinigami and Mello to host. Mello's rather possessive of Ringo's house...

"Can I have one?" Ayame asks quietly, closing her eyes. _Get a grip. _She tells herself, it's not like the railing's going to detach itself in some freak accident. Matt hands her a cigarette.

"I never took you to be interested in smoking. Your dad must've told you all about the carcinogenic agents, and lung cancer and all that bullshit." Matt replies smoothly, laughing a little. Matt takes another puff, staring at Ayame. She shrugs and sets the cigarette in her mouth.

"Meh. He's not around to tell me off about it. Just one, to break the golden rule just once." Ayame says calmly, she blanching by the second. Matt lights up her cigarette and Ayame takes a puff. Moments later, she's coughing and spluttering. "What the fuck did I just smoke?" Ayame chokes out, having another coughing fit. Matt is in stitches, his laughter mocks her.

"You're not supposed to take a big gulp." Matt replies, laughing loudly. Matt takes a puff, demonstrating how it's really done. "Like so, yeah?" Matt says, glancing at the girl beside him. Ayame nods, understanding what he means. She takes a puff and blows out the smoke.

"Heh." ayame laughs quietly. Damn, that cigarette made her feel like there's liquefied charcoal pooling inside her lungs.

"You're cute, y'know." Matt says teasingly, he leans in just close enough, so his face is provocatively close. Ayame kisses Matt on impulse, losing control of herself for one moment. Matt is shocked at first, wondering where the hell that came from but he kisses back.

"S-s-sorry, m-m-muh b-bad... I thought you..." Ayame stammers, her face flushing tomato red. She holds onto Matt's shoulders, slightly embarrassed. She's as nervous and twitchy as a hyper squirrel. Matt was teasing her.

"Don't 'muh bad' me. I liked that." Matt replies flippantly. He winks at her, deepening Ayame's blush. Matt snickers, Ayame's so cute when she's blushing and stammering like that. Ayame blinks owlishly, looking rather dazed and confused. "Do that again." Matt asks, pulling her a little bit closer. He ignores the fact that everyone is staring at them.

"W-w-wuh? D-did you n-now?" Ayame stutters, trying to get a grip of herself. She glances up, Matt's smile is just enough to make her feel all fuzzy inside. And she's supposed to be cooler than an iceberg. "W-w-well, I'd be happy to oblige..." Ayame replies, a cheeky grin on her face. _Damn you Matt._ Matt kisses Ayame again, earning a surprised squeak from Ayame. Ayame wanted to shy away, Matt is teasing her. "Meanie!" Ayame pipes up, hardly able to get a grip on herself, Matt is such as damn tease. Matt laughs, and Ayame playfully punches his shoulder.

"You're not a bad kisser." Matt notes. Ayame smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"Well, you're better than me." She replies, laughing nervously. Damn. He caught her off-guard and she's transformed into a stereotypical blushy schoolgirl.

"Ayame, let's play a game." Matt murmurs in her ear. Ayame listens intently. What is this mischievous redhead up to? If her dad was here, he'd tan their hides.

"What kind of game, Matt? Mario Kart? Pokemon? Oh my god, Pokemon!" Ayame gasps enthusiastically, the blush on her cheeks refusing to recede. Ayame feels like she's going to pass out.

"Let's just say, that you'll love this game, Ayame." Matt replies, all suave like and just so damn smooth. Ayame then arches an inquisitive eyebrow. What is he up to? Before she can even react, Matt pulls her in for a fiery, passionate kiss. Ayame is shocked at first, blinking owlishly. But she surrenders and kisses back. _Damn you Matt, you know how to catch me off-guard, don't you? Smooth move, Jeevas._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* INTERLUDE~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, Ringo, what do you think? Who won?" Mello asks. He's still struggling to catch his breath. Damn, that battle was intense and both of them fought hard to fight for dominance and chocolate. It's hard to say who is the dominate in their relationship. Mello cheated a few times, but so did Ringo. They're about even.

"Yeah, you won hands down..." Ringo admits reluctantly, huffing in disappointment. She has to give up her special chocolates to Mello... Damn.

"I told you I'd win." Mello replies haughtily, a victorious smirk plastered on his face.

"How did you do that?" Ringo stammers, incredulous. How DID he do that? How did he win?

"I've had a lot of practice on that front, Ringo." Mello replies smoothly, leaning back against the elevator wall. It's true Mello hasn't been able to keep a girlfriend for more than a month. Most girls were too annoying.

Mello was sick of all the 'Oh my god! I chipped a nail!' business. They were also scared off by Mello's temper, his mafia affiliations and also, apparently he looked like a chick. Now that was the most insulting thing of all. But Ringo here doesn't seem to care about any of that. So, she's not one of the picky ones. The demented personality will take a while to get used to though.

"You certainly have." Ringo exhales, chuckling quietly to herself. Mello is just too damn good. There's a very slight blush on her cheeks.

"Well, you were pretty damn close yourself." Mello admitted freely, wishing to himself there was more chocolate. Surely, Ringo had more?

"Tying cherry stems with your tongue is apparently a good practice." Ringo replies. Ringo starts probing through her pockets for that chocolate bar she was saving. Mello glances at her, is she serious? How can you do that?

"I'd like you to prove that." Mello challenges, Ringo smirks. Challenge accepted Mello. Now, she needs to find a maraschino cherry...

"Later, I've got cherries in the fridge at home." Ringo replies absentmindedly, fiddling with a frayed stitch in her leather jacket. Well, technically it was Mello's leather jacket, he let her borrow it. It was too big for her, but she didn't care. It had a feathery trim and it was actually a damn fine jacket. Ringo planned to nick it off him with a few bribes here and there.

"'Kay then. But you'll have to prove it sooner or later." Mello replies jeeringly. He glances across at Ringo, his jacket is far too big for her. But Ringo is relatively small, she's only about shoulder height to him in comparison, actually, a bit less than that. She was probably only five foot five at the very most. But hey, she looked kind of cute.

Suddenly, the elevator jolts. And it begins to travel upwards. Then it opens showing a myriad of people deskbound, eating. "Yes, daylight!" Mello yells loudly. He kneels dramatically, crawling out of the elevator.

"Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom!" Ringo yells triumphantly, kneeling down and rolling on the floor. Neither seems aware that everyone on that floor was now ogling at them, frozen in place. After five minutes of an over-the-top display, they finally notice.

The floor is awkwardly silent, even the janitors are gawking at those two 'young 'uns' causing such a ruckus. Mello and Ringo are silent, staring back at those people. Then finally after a heavy silence, people focus back into their conversations and the food in front of them. "There you are, where the hell have you been?" Ayame demands loudly, ignoring the people staring.

Ayame punches Mello's shoulder, hardly hearing the yelp of pain from the blond. "OW!" Mello yelps, rubbing his shoulder gingerly. Ayame punches really hard.

"You there, what were you up to?" Ayame demands, snapping her fingers at Ringo. Ayame strides over to Ringo, grabbing her shoulder. "You must've stopped the elevator-" Ringo wrenches herself out of her friend's grasp.

"The elevator broke down. The operator must've been having a bad day... Don't you dare stir up a conspiracy shitstorm Ayame." Ringo hisses back frostily. Ringo then glances over to Mello then back to three are all staring at her. "Oh my god, what?" Ringo demanded hotly, crossing her arms. Ayame snickered, murmuring something about hickeys to Matt. Ringo groaned, realizing she must have visible hickeys around her neck. Damn it. She doesn't have a scarf, people are going to be staring at her. Ringo blushes and pulls the feathery collar of the jacket around her neck.

"Hey, my Mels got to first base, soon you'll-" Matt was cut off by Mello, who punched Matt in the shoulder. Hard. "Don't go denying it Mels, that girl's really cute. Good for you." Matt continues, an encouraging smile on his face.

"Shut up, Matt." Mello snarls. Mello was pissed. How the hell did Matt know about it?

"Mels, it's obvious. There's friggin' hickeys all over Ringo's neck. I take it, that was a really hot elevator makeout session?" Matt pointed out, jerking a thumb at Ringo. Mello paused. Damn it. Mello quickly threw his scarf to Ringo. She caught it with a deft swipe of her hand and wrapped it around her neck.

"Matt, did you have something to do with the elevator breaking down?" Mello asked quietly, his eyes glaring holes into Matt's head. Matt paused. Oh shit. He began whistling innocently, slowly walking away in direction to the stairs down to the carpark. It's the perfect time to start hauling ass.

"Nooooooooooooo..." Matt trailed off, seeking shelter behind Ayame. She's probably a better alternative, it's too far to the car and Mello tended to outrun Matt. There was the respiratory problem with smoking to remember.

"Matt, I'm not your meat shield. Go find another poor sucker. I've got my own ass to save..." Ayame murmured under her breath, glancing sideways at Ringo. Ringo looked _livid _and Ayame feared for her soul, body _and_ mind.

"Matt..." Mello growled threateningly, glaring straight into his friend's eyes. "There is a fresh grave plot with your name on it." Mello hissed aggressively edging closer to Matt. Matt gulped, glancing sideways. Which route should he take to escape?

Matt can take Ayame with him. They can lie low in Antarctica for a few months. Somewhere where Mello can't find them... The penguins for company… It'd be colder than hell but that's a better alternative than death by Mello's hands. Matt even heard that Antarctica was nice at this time of year. Okay, that's a wrap. Antarctica it is.

"Don't hurt Matt! 'Twas my idea! All of it! Matt debugged and hacked into the elevator operation system and we made this bet..." Ayame faltered, trying to cover Matt's ass as much as she could. It was the truth, it was her idea to trap the two in an elevator. Matt and Ayame made a bet if they'd end up going to first base in the elevator.

"What bet?" Ringo spoke up, turning on Ayame. "You better start 'fessing up, Ayame." Ringo whispered with bared teeth, her eyes taking on an ill-omened glint. Ayame balked in terror.

"I'm sorry, but I don't regret any of it! Je ne regrette rien." Ayame spoke calmly, licking her lips nervously. Knowing Mello and Ringo, she's going to end up as dead meat. Those two have a very strong sense of dignity and when their dignity has been violated, they will go straight for the throat.

"Excuse me..." Matt trailed off. Matt shifts his eyes left to right, right to left and then runs for the stairwell, grabbing Ayame's wrist and tugging her with him. They didn't even make it that far - blocked by Ringo at the right and Mello behind them.

"Oh hell no, Matty! Get your ass back here!" Mello growls, he seizes Matt by his collar and drags him to a nearby vacant booth. It's isolated from everywhere else, a desert island. Mello forces Matt to sit down, holding him down by pressing on Matt's shoulders. Ringo pins Ayame down in a similar manner, Ayame struggles but Ringo is stronger than she looks, unfortunately for Ayame.

"... Ayame, help." Matt whimpers, praying silently. Matt glances at Ayame, silently praying that Ayame can figure out a way to sate the fury of two scorned chocoholics.

"I've got my hands tied in the moment, Matt." Ayame murmurs back shakily. Ayame glances up at Ringo, it's no good, Ringo's too strong. Damn it.

"What should we do to them?" Ringo asks quietly. Ringo glances across at Mello, holding down Ayame doesn't take too much effort. She's very petite after all.

"Hmmm... Shall we kill them?" Mello suggests, a malevolent grin on his face. Matt and Ayame shake their heads, pleading for sympathy with their eyes.

"No, we shouldn't kill them even if we want to. And we don't want an audience. This is a restaurant, nobody wants a piece of spleen landing on their plate." Ringo replies casually, glancing down at the trembling Ayame. Ayame sighs from relief but she knows this is far from over.

Ringo knows that Mello wasn't serious, they're just trying to screw with their minds. But ssssh, don't tell them! "Well, got an alternative?" Mello asks coolly. Mello is about to crack up. The expressions on their faces are priceless!

"Well, we could always pour Jell-O on them and set Sloane on them. That would be a sight to see." Ringo replies smoothly, the grin on her face matches Mello's own. Ringo starts biting her lip to hold back the hysterical laughter that is surging to be let out. Damn, this is just too good.

"That's fine with me. Got Jell-O?" Mello says, an evil smirk plastered on his face. It feels so good, this is a perfect little prank to pull on these two. "Revenge is sweet." Mello murmurs, a deranged chuckle surging in his chest. Ringo holds down Ayame down with one hand, producing a flask of Jell-O, placing it on the table. She then secures her hold on Ayame again, reducing any chances of escape.

"Carry it with me at all times in case of an emergency. It's her favourite flavour." Ringo replies calmly. Ringo then produces a dog whistle, blowing on it softly. Sloane bolts through the window, perching on the table. It's a good thing shinigami have sharp hearing.

"Matt, record my final words." Ayame mumbles apprehensively, glancing down at the table. So, this is how it ends?

"Ditto." Matt whispers back, he glanced across the table, Mello's hands grip tightly on his shoulders. "Nice knowing you." Matt says gently, nodding in acknowledgement. So, this is how it ends. Again.

Ayame nodded gratefully. "We're going to get mauled." Ayame whispered fearfully, glancing at the ravenous-looking shinigami.

"That's the gist of it." Matt replies somberly, sighing and stowing away his Gameboy. This shinigami is going to eat him alive. Ringo then opens the flask, pouring purple Jell-O all over Ayame.

Ayame wriggles her arms. Jell-O has gotten under her lilac hoodie, and onto her bare skin. It's cold, slimy and torturous. "Ah, shit. This was my favourite hoodie! Damn it!" Ayame whines in protest, sniffling. This hoodie was special, it was her favourite colour... Purple.

Mello pours the remaining jelly over Matt. Slimy jelly runs down Matt's vest. This vest had survived bloodstains, but purple Jell-O is nearly impossible to get out of clothes. "Mello, spare the Gameboy..." Matt begs insistently, checking on his precious Gameboy. "No, not the Gameboy!" Matt wails loudly in horror. Jell-O has filled the circuits, destroying the console from inside out.

"Shut up, Matt. I'll buy you another one." Mello interjects, this is getting annoying. Theatrical little drama queens. They'd be fantastic actors, really. They deserve an Academy award. Sloane then mauls Ayame, Ayame squeals in terror, trying to shy away but the shinigami is nimble and latches onto her.

"Oh God, this is the end! I'm melllllllllting!" Ayame wails, being eating alive by a shinigami is a hellish way to die. Hmmmm. Grape flavour.

"Well, shall we ditch them for the nearest 7/11? I want more chocolate." Mello asks Ringo casually, shaking his head. God, this is so boring now, they are so theatrical and over the top. Video games has made them this way.

"Yeah, they're being drama queens." Ringo drones, releasing Ayame. Ayame doesn't move, she's flailing her arms about, crying about how 2012 was true but it arrived several years too late. "And fuck you. I'm not buying you chocolate - oh. Shit... I owe you, don't I?" Ringo sighs ruefully, shaking her head.

"Wait, Mels, I'm sorry! My Gameboy! It's ruined!" Matt sniffles, holding out the ruined Gameboy. Flickers of electricity spit out of the console, but Matt knows that this Gameboy is taking its last breaths.

"Matt, what did I tell you?" Mello replies sharply. He releases Matt, heading to the stairwell to join Ringo. Matt is being overdramatic and it's pissing Mello off to no end.

"... That you'd buy me a new Gameboy!" Matt replies in sing-song. He perks up like a flower starved of sunlight, clutching the dead Gameboy to his chest.

"Yeah. Correct. What do you want, a cookie? Now shut up and quit whining, Matty." Mello retorts brashly, Ringo waits by the stairwell, glaring at Mello. That glare succinctly spells out _Hurry the hell up._

"Can I get a Nintendo Lite too?" Matt begs like a little kid, trailing after the others. Matt has always wanted a Nintendo Lite but he got shot before he could buy one. Life is always too short. Mello rolls his eyes.

"Whatever." Mello replies, just about to head over to meet Ringo and then Matt grabs onto his wrist. "What is it _now_?" Mello hisses impatiently, tugging his wrist out of Matt's grasp. Ayame then pushes Sloane off her and hurries to catch up. Ringo glances back, and sighs.

"Aaaaaaaaand a XBOX 360?" Matt pipes up, blinking owlishly under his googles. Mello glares at him. He glances back at Ringo, he wants chocolate. Damn Matt for making the withdrawal time painfully longer!

"Don't push your luck." Mello growls angrily, pushing past Matt. Mello finally goes over to the stairwell to Ringo. Ringo shrugs and heads down the stairwell, hands shoved in her short shorts pockets. "Y'know, maybe it wasn't bad being stuck in an elevator with you after all. You're not half bad." Mello murmurs softly, earning a faint smile from Ringo.

"Thanks. You're not half bad either, tough guy." Ringo replies casually, her face lights up with a smile. Maybe Mello may have been the right one to give those honmei-choko to. Mello can't help but smile back. Smiles are ever so contagious.

_Fin._


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**AN: Hey, this is Slushy with the fourteenth chapter of Ashes of the Apple Tree. I have been ill with an ear infection/gastric flu for the past few days so I've haven't had much time on my hands, my family kept me away from the computer until I was better. This is why this update is rather... late. So, I'm sorry, I really, really am... Please forgive me! DX So, I glanced back at the Valentine's Day specials I wrote and I wasn't happy with them. =/ So, I am going to extend and rewrite them, look them over and pretty much clean them up until I'm satisfied. I actually thought "Was I high on sugar that day? o...O". And yes... Yes, I was.**

**Anyway, I hope none of you ran away because of my crack Valentine's Day oneshots, icing sugar is a very powerful hyper-inducing substance. Especially in large-ish quantities. I'm also thinking of setting up a DeviantArt page, to submit... drawings. So, yeah, I'm pondering on that idea.** **Review cookies are loved. Very much loved :3**

****EDIT (21/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, added dialogue to split up huge paragraphs, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on. Enjoy!****

**Chapter Fourteen**

Ringo sighs irritably, feeling too lethargic. That car is long gone now, and she ran until she couldn't walk. She wished for more energy to save Ayame but she's helpless to do anything and it's a terrible feeling. "Damn." Ringo growls in frustration, forcing a gasp of air into her aching lungs. Her shoulders shudder from fatigue and she leans against an alley wall for support. Her heart is thudding so hard in her chest, it's almost agony. If Toshi is responsible for this, what is he planning to do? What does he want from Ringo?

"Damn it Ringo, don't run off like that again! You dumbass!" Mello hisses testily, glancing across at Ringo. She's exhausted to the point she can hardly stand. She looks like she's about to drop from exhaustion. She'd been sprinting non-stop for at least an hour. Now, the fatigue is taking its toll on her. Sweat beads her brow and she's struggling to breathe. Mello snarls in frustration under his breath.

"She's gone! She's gone... She's really... Gone." Ringo mumbles in despair, thudding her curled up fist into the wall. She can hardly feel the pain over her throbbing muscles. Everywhere hurts right now. The skin on her knuckles split from punching that window and stung like a bitch. Ringo struggles to keep the tears back, clenching her jaw tightly. She has to keep the hope that her friend is still alive.

That car is long gone, not even a trace of it in sight. "Get on. I'm taking you home... We'll figure out what to do." Mello murmurs softly, walking back to the parked Harley. Mello didn't get a chance to memorize a number plate or catch a glimpse of his face. But there may be no use of that, that car was probably stolen anyway. It looked expensive, there was no way a schoolboy could afford a car like that on a minimum wage job.

Ringo glances in Mello's direction, resting against the wall for a little longer. Her legs quivered and throbbed. She'd never run faster in her life. She plucks up the strength to slowly make her way to the Harley and get on, her arms loosely wrapped around Mello's waist. She puts on her helmet, and slides the visor over her eyes. She sighs miserably, she's Kira and she can't do a damn thing with her Death Note. Tanaka Toshi was an alias, a falsehood to pull the wool over Ringo's eyes. Toshi is much more cunning than Ringo thought. That kind, audacious class clown personality was all just an act.

He wants to get rid of Ayame, but why? What did she do to piss him off? But he is a serial killer after all. He may just want to kill her for no reason other than a trophy. However, serial killers are careful enough to not kill anyone too close to them or someone they know well. They'd get caught easily. Toshi's too cunning for that. He's obviously using Ayame as bait to lure in the real trophy: Ringo herself.

"Mihael?" Ringo asks quietly, her head leaning against his shoulder for support. Mello doesn't answer Ringo, he's focusing on getting her home. This serial killer's after Ringo, he's using Ayame as bait to trap Ringo. For now, Ringo needs to keep her distance. Toshi won't kill Ayame yet. Maybe he won't even kill her at all. From the looks of it, he's seeking an exchange. But that's not going to happen. He may be smart but he's not smart enough to play by Mello's game. "Oh... Right... You don't like your name do you?" Ringo mumbles, her voice is barely audible.

"Yeah. Just call me Mello." Mello replies blankly, turning a corner at the intersection. Mello can feel Ringo lean against him slightly and her hands clasp together around his waist. Her head rests on the back of his shoulder and Mello pauses. If Matt sees this, he's going to never going to let Mello live it down.

"Goddamn it." Ringo whispers softly, blinking back the tears that threaten to fall. Toshi is entirely unpredictable - he would kill her without qualms. The two hate eachother, that much is obvious. Allegedly, they get in fights all of the time in the home room when Ringo's back is turned. Ringo bites her lip - she should've never left Ayame alone. She should've run after her.

"Oi. Ringo." Mello calls back to her. Ringo shifts slightly in response, being too lazy to reply. "Don't worry about Ayame, Toshi won't kill her. He's not that stupid - he knows the consequences if he does." Mello says, awkwardly attempting to ease Ringo's panic. Ringo smiles slightly, but that smile is a lie. Inside, she swears she can feel something break. She's so afraid, too afraid. Ayame could actually die. And Ringo can't do a damn thing. She doesn't know where the bastard that kidnapped her is or even who he is. For all she knew, it could be someone else and Toshi isn't even involved.

* * *

><p>Ayame glances up, she's tethered to the floor by her ankles. Her torso has been bound completely by duct tape and she can hardly move. There's a long gash along the side of her temple. Someone paces back and forth in front of her, wiping blood from a steak knife. "Ringo will save me. And you'll be sorry." Ayame spits at him wrathfully, she would tear this person to pieces if she could. The figure chuckles in reply, glancing in her direction.<p>

"Is that so?" The figure muses, his eyes flicker dangerously. "Well, we'll see. When she figures out where we are, we'll be ready for her, won't we?" The figure says derisively, studying the knife in his hand. He glances back and forth between the girl and the knife curled in his fingers.

"You're poison." The girl snarls rabidly. My, aren't we feisty? The girl then spits in his face, and he recoils in disgust.

This girl loathes him and he's thriving on that. "My, my, you are a feisty one, aren't you, m'dear?" He chuckles coldly and slices her forearm for the hell of it. Ayame grimaces at the pain, she doesn't want to scream. This is just how he kills his boredom. "Hmmm... I thought you were a loud, obnoxious person. I've been deceived. You're no fun." He says in disappointment, turning back to her. Another figure is concealed in the shadows, quietly watching the pair.

"You're a monster." The girl whispers in a wobbling voice, edging away from the knife. The figure smirks coldly in response.

He pouts provocatively and then laughs malevolently. "Well, we're going to have some _fun, _you and I. " The figure whispers softly, his deranged laughter now echoing through the building. The knife glints in the dull light and Ayame holds back a wail of terror.

Where in the world is Ryuk or Sloane? Where the hell is Matt or Mello? Where in Kira's name is Ringo? Just someone to get her the hell out of here, away from this cruel, sadistic psycho. Her body writhes and struggles to break out of its bounds but the duct tape is tight and secure. Damn. "Hell will freeze over before that happens. You will pay for this, you son of a bitch." Ayame snarls rabidly, and the man narrows his eyes, insulted.

"Well, you better have a sweater then." Toshi speaks finally, , his voice somewhat softer than the other's. Toshi flashes a toothy grin. It's almost like a Glasgow smile, only more ominous and cruel.

"Keep our mother out of this. She wasn't a bitch... No, she was an artist." The other speaks, his voice somewhat stronger and more masculine that Toshi's. "My mother was the sculptor than made me who I am. Made us who we are." The figure speaks again, his lips curl into a cruel grin. The figure's lips are covered in small scars. Only now did Ayame see this.

"My mother made the monster. Ringo and I aren't so different. We're just... different kinds of monsters." Toshi replies apathetically, glancing down at the girl. Toshi's done nothing to harm Ayame just yet. Mainly his accomplice has done that, much to Toshi's displeasure. Toshi had specifically told him not to. His accomplice leapt right in, disregarding his instructions. Toshi's lip curled. Unfortunately, he can't do anything about it yet.

"The kind of monsters that haunt your dreams. You better be afraid." The other replies, looking back at his brother. "We do more than hide in the closet. Oh yes, us monsters do much more than that." He says again, examining the knife in his hands. Toshi's gaze averted away from his brother, and to Ayame.

"Ringo can't be a killer and a hero. It's not how it works in our world. Here's where she makes her choice. I've painstakingly set up everything, all according to plan." Toshi, replies candidly, his dark eyes glancing at the defenseless person before him. He could kill her before any of them realizes what happened. But, no. He has to wait for Ringo. Ayame snorts, what does this man want? A fucking medal?

"Ringo will kill you _both_, you have gone too far this time. And we don't need either of you to find out who her father is." Ayame retorts tigerishly, this man is too proud and bold for his own good. "And I'm not afraid of monsters." Ayame snarls, glaring at the two figures. Ringo is Kira and she will punish them for their crimes. These men are serial killers, responsible for killing gods know how many people. They will go down, even if it's the last thing Ringo does.

The other figure bursts out into hysterical, manic laughter, carving something into the metal walls with the knife. The screech of metal-on-metal is like someone dragging their nails down a chalkboard. Ayame cringes in pain, unable to cover her ears. Toshi glances at his brother, he doesn't even flinch. Toshi is the dominant one in this - and soon, he will assert his place.

"She can't kill me, I'm the only one who knows her darkest secret. I've destroyed everything that can lead you to that conclusion. Her desperation is almost tragic." Toshi scoffs arrogantly, chuckling quietly to himself. Yes, this trap is almost perfect. Ringo won't be able to reject him this time.

Snickering to himself, he walks away from his victim to wait for the arrival of his 'special' guest. The other figure watches her for a moment, then he turns into the shadows, leaving Ayame to bleed.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**AN: Hey, this is Slushy with the fifteenth chapter of Ashes of the Apple Tree. So, I'm continuing to ponder on DeviantArt page. My friend does have a tablet so maybe I can borrow it because she hardly uses it. :3  
>I'm feeling a lot better from when I was sick, I've been clearing out my homework pile and I'll have time to write fanfiction (I'm overjoyed!)<br>And, I got a review from Una Feltheart!**

**Una, I'd wondered where you'd gone! XD**  
><strong>I get what you mean, sometimes my memory is so terrible... I was on the phone to my friend, I was looked for it, and I realized two minutes later it was in my hand. And talking to my friend with it. My friend <em>never <em>let me live it down, and he says that sometimes my blondeness goes to my brain. DX**  
><strong>Yeah, I've been thinking of drawing up Ringo and Ayame, I've been practising on paper, I've got the whole mangaanime of Death Note so I've closely observed Obata-sensei's style of art. He is an awesome mangaka and probably one of my favorite mangaka. Matsuri Hino and Masashi Kishimoto are too to name a few :p**

**And yes, I've been considering a MelloxRingo pairing! I was thinking the same thing. A lot of people say 'harmony of opposites'. In some ways, that goes and doesn't go so we shall see. I've been cooking up ideas in my head ;p**

**Hurhur, Ayame's one of my favorite original characters I've created. I spent a month building a characterization for her, I spend at least a month on each character, building them up into developed characters. I think about how their personality and especially their flaws should be unique to them. A lot of people had told me that I'm very dedicated to creating my OCs. Haha, that's just me!**  
><strong>And yes, I liked the original concept for the Valentine's Day special but I felt kinda funny about it, so I just rewrote it. I showed it to my friend (who's kind of my beta-reader) for approval, and she couldn't stop laughing so I thought 'That's good enough for me'. So thank you again, Una! Your reviews make me really happy :3<strong>

**EDIT: Anyway, I know it's been ages since I updated and you all must be mad at me. I'm sorry, I've been busy, and I'll be updating again over the last few days posting the chapters I owe. And oh lawd, I think I love my own evil little bastard OC, Toshi. So, here's the rewritten, LONGER Chapter Fifteen to keep you occupied ;3**

****EDIT (21/12/12): I have extended this by adding in several sentences, fixed a few formatting/grammatical errors and so on. Hoorayyyyy!****

**Chapter Fifteen**

Ringo perches on a chair, a mug of coffee clutched tightly in both hands and one knee against her chest. She's been wide awake for hours. Ringo has been plagued by endless torment, the very thought that Ayame is missing is killing her inside. Ayame's mother called and Ringo lied, saying Ayame was here. She wanted Toshi to herself, she would punish him, and she would kill him for what he's done. He's gotten on her nerves and Ringo's fed up.

"Ringo, it's three in the fucking morning, go to bed!" A certain pissed-off blond yells at the girl. He storms into the kitchen, his blue eyes bloodshot and sore-looking. The damn kitchen lights have been keeping him awake. He grasps onto a melting chocolate bar, glaring at the woman keeping him awake.

"..." He notices Ringo is unresponsive, her coffee went cold hours ago.

"Hey, Ringo. How many times do I have to tell you that Ayame will be okay? She's tough, she can look after herself pretty damn well." Mello softens, speaking to her quietly. Ringo shifts her stiff neck slightly; her red bangs shroud her face. It's not hard to tell that she's crying her eyes out.

"I know that, Mello. But you just don't get it. Imagine if Matt got kidnapped by a serial killer and you don't have a clue where he could be? You're being unreasonable, my best and only friend I've ever had could be dead, Mello." Ringo replies uneasily, her tone is fatigued.

"Hey, in case you didn't know, I _did_ lose my best friend!" Mello whisper-shouted, Ringo didn't even respond. "Matt got shot, and I had to hear it from the freaking news broadcast." Mello hissed, clenching his fist.

"How the hell would I tell her parents their only daughter was dead? It'd devastate them. I should've never left her alone. I should've been there to kick that motherfucker's ass!" Ringo yowls angrily, she slams a closed fist on the table. Cold coffee spills onto the table but that's the least of Ringo's worries.

"Ringo, damn it, you're not listening. Listen for chrissakes or I'll... I'll... Damn it, I'll figure that out as I go along." Mello replies, he's honestly losing his patience. He exhaled sharply and continued. "If you don't shut up, listen and calm down right now, I swear that you will not walk away from this unscathed." Mello hisses, trying to calm it all down. Ringo froze, calming down in a pinch. That was enough to keep her quiet for a long time.

"S-s-sorry..." Ringo stutters apologetically, Mello glances at the girl. Her eyes have bruise-like dark shadows underneath, her skin in pallid, and she's trembling. "Damn it all." Ringo sighs softly, covering her face with her hands. Ringo groans and slams her forehead against the surface of the table.

"You need more coffee. Get up. I'm taking you to a cafe." Mello orders, marching over to the table. Mello's hand grasps her shoulder gently and he shakes her shoulder. "C'mon, up you get." Mello murmurs, gripping onto her shoulder. Mello pulls the exhausted girl to her feet, one arm curled around her shoulders to stop her from falling over onto her face.

"I don't wanna..." Ringo laments, but Mello persists, dragging her out the front door to the Harley parked in the driveway. "Mello, get off me!" Ringo protests, wriggling around in his hands. "Mello! Let me go! Let me wallow!" Ringo cries, but Mello grabs onto her wrist.

"I have no intention of doing either!" Mello shouts, ignoring the fact that he's woken up the whole neighborhood. "You should shut up and keep a straight face. I promised you I'd help you find her and I will find her." Mello snaps, his blue eyes boring holes in her face. Mello settles down onto the Harley, taking her arms and wrapping them around his waist. Ringo is forced to sit down behind him, she's too exhausted to fight back.

"Should in what sense?" Ringo replies in a satirical tone, she's not going to let him control her. If anyone's a control freak here, it's Ringo and she wears the pants in her household. Ringo isn't going to acquiesce to Mello, of all people.

"Should as in, you should do as you're fucking told." Mello hisses back, Ringo shuts up. There's no good comeback to battle against that. Damn. "This is for your own good." Mello says quietly, glancing back at her.

"I hate that phrase." Ringo retorts, folding her arms defiantly. Ringo glares back at Mello.

"Whatever. I'm not going to sit there and let you mope like that." Mello growls, averting his glare away from the girl. "That annoying chick I know doesn't sink down to this level of pathetic brooding." Mello says in an irritated voice. Ringo smiles slightly, it's good to know that Mello cares about her, even if it's only a little bit.

"Oh my god." Ringo says aloud, an epiphany just slammed into her. Ringo steps off the Harley. The fricking meat shack. Toshi's house was close to an abandoned slaughterhouse. Ringo even saw it herself. A slaughterhouse may seem an odd place to hide a hostage, but no one could think of that in the first place. Secondly, if the cops showed up, Toshi could come running in a pinch. Ringo bolts into a sprint, running as fast as her legs would carry her. Toshi's house isn't far.

"Oi! Wait up, stupid!" Mello yells angrily, starting up the Harley. Fuck. The ignitions are stuck. "Grrrrrrrr..." Mello growled, walking the Harley back to the garage and shutting the garage behind him. Now, where the hell did she go? He spots her fading into the distance. He breaks into a sprint after her, hoping that she'll tire quickly. That's looking pretty bleak. Mello reached into his pocket, thumb-punching a number. Matt better get off his ass and show up.

* * *

><p>Ayame leans against the wall, he's gone. For now. Toshi said he'd gone to the convenience store, he'll be back any minute. It appears that his accomplice is gone. Time to work on loosening the duct tape slightly, and then hauling ass. If Ringo doesn't show up, Ayame will have to rescue herself. Ayame wriggles her shoulders, trying to loosen the suffocatingly tight bounds that envelop her. The stench of animal blood fills the air and Ayame wrinkles her nose. Yes, she was being kept hostage in an abandoned abattoir. Charming.<p>

It is always pitch black so that's why she doesn't have a blindfold. It's impossible to accustom one's eyes to the darkness in here without a light source, so he says. But then, how does he see? Does he wear night-vision goggles? Ayame snorts. Maybe he does. Toshi was always a sucker for the craziest shit. Yes, she knew who he was, she knew his voice, knew his light footsteps. There was no use in hiding himself in the shadows of this abattoir.

Toshi had spoken to her. Toshi told Ayame his plans for Ringo, he planned to kill Ringo if she didn't abide by them. Ayame had time to think out an escape, she could find her way around the dark. It wouldn't be that hard. Then finally, the bounds loosen a little bit. But before Ayame can continue loosening the bounds, the abattoir door opens. The door slams with a resounding thud.

"I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Toshi sings out in a taunting tone, there's the rustling of a paper bag. Then the abattoir is flooded by light.

Ayame shields her eyes, it's so blinding. It takes several minutes for her eyes to adjust to the sudden change in brightness and she sees him. Toshi. Those inky blue eyes, the brown hair, the pallid skin, that same fucking face. "Hello, Toshi." Ayame replies wryly, glaring straight at him.

"Oh, that isn't very nice. Didn't your mother teach you about proper etiquette, m'dear?" Toshi replies sarcastically, the glance is skeptical and provocative. If Ayame wasn't bound like this, she'd maul him. Toshi is hardly able to keep a cool head himself – the urge to choke the life out of this annoying bitch is overwhelming.

"She did, but I don't think you deserve proper etiquette from me." Ayame says sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Toshi snorts. Impudent wench. He'll be sure to get rid of her as soon as he can. Ayame's death is all part of the plan anyway.

"Don't think you can get away being haughty with me, Nakamura. Your life is entirely in my hands and I can crush it whenever I please." Toshi spat in reply, polishing his butcher knife free of her blood. This girl is an obstacle, he has to get rid of her. Nothing can stop him from loving Ringo and he certainly won't let this bitch get in his way.

"Then why haven't you already, or are you too much of a-" Ayame is cut off from Toshi holding the knife to her throat.

"Shut up or I'll cut you like a fish." Toshi hisses and Ayame freezes up. His eyes are steely and dead serious. "The only reason you're still alive is because I have a good level of patience." Toshi murmurs softly, gripping tightly on the handle of the knife.

"Keh." Ayame murmurs, glancing into Toshi's eyes. Toshi's eyes are perfectly serious, and the killing intent she saw in them... Ayame would never forget that hostile glare for as long as she lived. Ayame curbed her tongue, mostly out of fear.

"You better watch yourself or I'll seriously lose my fucking rag." Toshi snaps, he dumps a plastic water bottle and a packet of cashews at the girl's lap. "I'm pretty damn merciful compared to others like me. So shut up and be grateful you're still alive." Toshi snaps, seemingly forgetting that Ayame's hands are tied.

"Don't you fucking dare even touch her." Ringo snarls, standing in the doorway. Ayame's eyes widen in shock. Oh thank the gods, Ringo's come to save her. Ayame wriggles underneath her tethers, Ringo averts her gaze to Toshi. Ayame balks when she recognises the look. Ringo's eyes mirrored Toshi's own killing intent. Ayame shuddered.

"Hello there. We've been waiting for you." Toshi says warmly, a fake smile twisted on his face. Ringo's glare only intensifies. Toshi doesn't even flinch.

"Toshi, you're asking for a death wish and I'll be the one to give it." Ringo hisses tigerishly, she's obviously mad. That's not hard to see. Ringo steps forward carefully. Well, she's unarmed. How in hell is she going to kill Toshi? She didn't even bring a Death Note. Shit.

"Oh, and... How exactly are you going to do that?" Toshi questioned jeeringly, a cruel smirk painted on that face. Ringo is silent, eyeing her surroundings. It appears that there's nothing she can use, yet.

"I'll improvise." Ringo retorts coldly. Toshi is silent, eyeing Ringo with a perplexed expression. Ringo examines Toshi. He is taller, buffer and probably a lot stronger than her. Ringo chews anxiously on her lip. This is not going to be remotely easy.

"Y'know, I didn't want to kill you - but you're starting to become a real pain in the ass." Toshi complains loudly, keeping his gaze fixed on Ringo. He glances at Ayame, his eyebrows furrowing in displeasure. "Having hostages is a first time for me. I usually kill as I go along." Toshi notes quietly, glancing at Ringo. "I'm sorry, darling. But we both know she has to go." Toshi says wryly, his face is perfectly serious.

"Fuck you." Ringo replies monotonously, sighing quietly to herself. She's scheming, she's plotting, she's planning... Nothing. Not a damn idea in mind. She sees a discarded branch lying in the gutter below her feet - why on earth is there a branch there? Well, hey, might as well put it to use.

Ringo carefully bends down to pick up the branch, curling her fingers around it for comfort. She sneaks up on Toshi then just as she's about to whack him at the back of the head and steal that knife - he turns around. "Oh dear. Were you planning on hitting me with that?" Toshi asks sardonically, his eyes gleam with smugness.

"Shit." Ringo mouthes, taking a step backwards. Ringo suppresses her fear and moves forward. Ringo's hand grips tightly around the stick. Ringo will stab him in the throat, with a stick. Ringo glances quickly towards Ayame, and then looks at Toshi.

"You know, I love the girls who love to hate." Toshi says softly, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face. Toshi easily swipes the stick from Ringo's grasp, discarding it far out of reach. "But I love killing them even more. I would've never dreamt of killing you - I developed a certain... fondness to you." Toshi says hesitantly, seemingly having trouble with his words. Ringo edges away slowly, only to find herself pressed against a wall.

"Well, it ain't happening. Dream on, psycho." Ringo hisses spitefully, and Toshi chuckles. Ah, she's so very adorable. More like a hissing, spitting kitten than any real threat. Toshi pins her to the wall, he's taller, and he's stronger. He's got the upper hand. In fact, if Toshi wanted to, he could kill her in ten different ways without using his knife. Toshi has killed many before, he can effortlessly do it again.

"What was your first clue, love?" Toshi whispers provocatively. Toshi wasn't unfamiliar with the name. Psycho, freak, sociopath, killer, murder. All names people had spat disdainfully in his direction. Even the others in the psychiatric ward feared him.

"Oh, maybe the fact you're a stalker and that you kill people?" Ringo replies sarcastically, fearlessly insulting him. Toshi just smiles. Ringo's audacity in the face of death is rather admirable. But really, rather stupid. Ringo really doesn't do her intelligence justice sometimes.

"Stalker is a harsh word. I prefer admirer." Toshi replies coolly, keeping his gaze fixed on her. Toshi knows who he's dealing with, and he really doesn't want to lower his guard. He never has done so around any of his victims, and he will not change the rules for Ringo.

"What do you want from me?" Ringo snarls, her teeth bared in a feral manner. Toshi gazes at her. Ringo looks like a trapped animal, backed into a corner. Defenseless. Well, not really. Toshi had just cornered a predator, he had better watch his step.

"Okay, I'll barter a deal. I will release Ayame, I'll let you live, I'll tell you what you want to know and we all walk away satisfied." Toshi says calmly, looking down at Ringo. Ringo's nearly a foot shorter than him. Ringo only stood at five foot five. Toshi was nearly six foot two.

"What's the catch?" Ringo growled, continuing to show no fear that Toshi held her life in his hand. Ringo received no answer. Ringo's hand curled in a fist. She forced her fist into Toshi's fist. Toshi pinned Ringo down, catching her fist in one hand.

"A-ta-ta-ta! Let's not do that, darling. Especially when I've got a knife." Toshi says sardonically. He's in full control. And damn, it feels good being dominant. "You will have to stay with me in Ayame's place. I'll have to cut Ayame's tongue out so she won't speak a word. And, of course, you have to give me your Death Notes." Toshi replies casually, his weight easily suppresses Ringo's own. Toshi's eyes take on a malevolent glint. Where the fuck is Mello when you need him? And how the hell does he know about her Death Notes?

"How the fuck did you know about the Death Notes?" Ringo demands, trying to find a loophole. She needs to catch him off-guard, and she knows there's no way she can get out of this without killing him. Ringo stares right into his eyes, and she sees softness. She knows that he doesn't want to hurt her, yet he's tricked her before. She can't trust him.

"Ringo, I have these… eyes. I see names and lifespans. It was a pretty tricky sum but I figured it out." Toshi says calmly. Ringo's eyes widen in astonishment. He has the shinigami eyes. "I knew your name and who you really were even before I obtained your birth certificate." Toshi says candidly. Toshi looks at Ringo's face. Letters and numbers floated above her head. Toshi's eyebrows tented as he examined her lifespan. It was rather short.

"How did you get the eyes?" Ringo says quietly. Ringo was positive he didn't have a Death Note. If he knew Ayame's name, he wouldn't go through the trouble of abducting her.

"I've had these eyes ever since I can remember." Toshi says quietly, his eyes fixed on Ringo. Ringo stands still. A shinigami must've dropped its own eyes down to Earth, instead of a Death Note. "Oh and, my brother has a Death Note. He told me everything about it." The words are soft and they're like a gunshot straight to the heart. Oh gods. Why?

"Let me go!" Ringo cried fearfully, losing her fearlessness of him. Ringo cringed, trying to pull away, and Toshi grabbed her wrist and firmly pressed it to the wall. His knee pressed against her stomach, pinning her down to an extent where she can't move.

"I know all about your pet shinigami and your dead pals Matt and Mello. I've been keeping a close eye on you – did you honestly think you could hide all this from me?" Toshi says jeeringly. He gazes at her sceptically, mocking her.

"Yes. I did." Ringo sighed dramatically, her free hand snaking down to the switchblade in his pocket. "Alright. Fine. I'll accept the deal. Just… Let her go. Please." Ringo says melodramatically, staring right into his eyes. She's a good actor if she wants to be. Ringo glances down to the ground, trying to trick him. Toshi's cunning and she'll need to be a good actress to pull this off.

"Good girl." Toshi replies tersely. Toshi releases his hold on Ringo, and Ringo falls to her knees weakly. Toshi paces over to Ayame. "So help me, if you fucking move after I've untied you or say a word to this to anyone, I will kill you. I will know if you tell anyone." Toshi hisses to Ayame. Toshi partially cuts Ayame free. Ringo glances at the floor, holding the switchblade she took from Toshi's pocket. It's relatively pathetic compared to his steak knife but it'll have to do.

"Toshi." Ayame murmurs, glancing up at the man coldly. "If you kill her, I will send you to hell." Ayame snarls aggressively. Toshi pauses, and snickers in amusement. "You should take me seriously." Ayame says coldly, her eyes flash. Ooooh, scary.

"Sweetie, I was _never_ intended for heaven." Toshi replies sardonically, glancing at Ringo. Fuck. That clever… Before he could even move, he feels the blade sink into his shoulder. Blood splatters Ayame's face and seeps through Toshi's school shirt. "Your anatomy's a bit off, dear." Toshi noted dryly, smirking quietly to himself. He can't even get killed, it's not even fatal.

"I hate you." Ringo growled, trying to retract the switchblade. But it's stuck. Damn. "What the hell's wrong with you?" Ringo demanded. Toshi turns around, gently pulling the switchblade from his shoulder. Yes, it's not exactly intelligent to pull a switchblade from an open wound but he doesn't want to walk around with a switchblade sticking from his shoulder. Especially when your opponent can use it to sever some of the arteries in the shoulder. Blood seeps through the white fabric. His entire arm is numb and he can't move it.

"Where to begin?" Toshi retorts, blood drips down his bare skin, its warm. Blood. The very substance that keeps one alive yet it can also kill you. How ironic. "And what a damn shame. But you'll grow to love me." Toshi replied sarcastically. He shrugged, frowning. His shoulder hurt like a bitch. Ow.

"I hope it hurts. I hope it hurts real bad." Ringo hisses, her feet planted into the ground and her dreadful glare fixed on him. Toshi chuckles. Ringo is just so precious. Ringo's not really that scary.

"You know, that did kinda hurt." Toshi noted quietly, his eyes flicked up to meet Ringo's own. Toshi drew his steak knife, turning to Ringo. Holding the bloodstained switchblade in the other hand, he glanced at her. "Sweetheart, at this rate… If you keep stabbing me in non-vital places, you're really gonna piss me off. I'm going to have to help you get better." He mocks her with a voice dripped with false sweetness and mockery.

"You know, Toshi, I'd love to talk about the human body and all its fascinating functions and parts... but I'm going to take my friend and go. See ya." Ringo replies, a smirk on her face. So, it's the faceoff of two deranged people. Who will win? Ringo grabs a hold of Ayame, hoisting her up into her arms. "This is only temporary, Ayame." Ringo murmurs down to the partially bound Ayame, who nods in response.

"Oh, but, sweetheart. You forgot the most important part." Toshi replies coldly. Before Ringo can ask what Toshi meant, she felt the switchblade slice across her stomach. Toshi moved fast, she didn't even see him coming. Ringo gasps in shock. Blood seeps down, soaking her abdomen. Ringo grunts in pain, feeling the blade slowly sink into her flesh.

"Stop... Please... Mnnn!" Ringo cringed in pain, skewing her eyes shut. Ringo felt the blade cutting into her flesh.

"Don't worry, I didn't hit anything important. But a few inches down and to the left, I can sever your liver. And to the right, there's the lovely pancreas, spleen or kidneys. And you don't wanna get hit there, trust me." Toshi whispers wryly in Ringo's ear. Blood trickles from the corner of Ringo's mouth and drips on Ayame's cheek. Fuck. Ringo never knew that getting stabbed would hurt this bad.

"Why?" Ringo asks aloud, her voice is shuddering. She can feel warm liquid pooling in her mouth. Blood. She recognises the salty and irony taste. Her body quivers, and she winces in pain as the switchblade sinks in deeper.

"If I go up, there's the diaphragm and the lungs. And of course, the heart. And down, your intestines. A lot of choices to pick from." Toshi says in a cheery tone, he's mocking her. Ringo spluttered, speckles of blood marble the floor below.

"You asshole." Ayame whispered, horrified. Ayame rolled out of Ringo's arms, feeling her hand break beneath her. Shifting her crushed hand through the bounds, she began tearing them apart with her other hand. Having a broken hand made it squashed enough to slip through tight fits. Ringo's knees wobble, blood drips down the legs off her jeans, and pools at her feet.

"It's a shame most of our organs are located in the lower abdomen, with hardly any protection, and up the top only an insubstantial ribcage that doesn't serve as good defence." Toshi murmurs dryly, gripping onto the switchblade. "So dear, I think it would be wise to not do anything stupid now. I can give you damage you won't walk away from." Toshi warns in a somber tone.

"Ringo!" Ayame cries out in alarm, seeing her friend wobble in place. Ringo falls back and Toshi catches her. His hold is gentle and enveloping. Ringo almost feels sick. "I can save you, but there's a price for everything." Toshi says gently. In response, Ringo spits a glob of blood in Toshi's face. She quickly staggers away from him. Pressing a hand over her stomach, she eyes him spitefully.

"I will never..." Ringo gurgles weakly, her body quivering. She's lost plenty of blood already. And the pain isn't exactly better. Toshi glances at Ringo, that wound will stop bleeding eventually. It wasn't fatal, but the blood loss will make her fall into unconsciousness.

"Ringo, look at yourself. You're fighting a winning battle." Toshi answers back, pinning down Ayame with his foot. Toshi stoops down and glances at the squirming Ayame. "If you'll excuse us." Toshi says politely. He pinches a nerve cluster in Ayame's neck, she passed out almost instantly.

"Bastard!" Ringo yells angrily, forcing herself up on her feet. Ringo's legs defy her and she tumbles back onto her knees, kneeling in her own blood. "Ungh!" Ringo grunts in pain, pressing a hand to the knife wound.

"Ringo, I can tell you who your father is, and I can save your life. You know what I want. Just make the decision." Toshi says flippantly. He watches at her, Ringo's knees buckle and give way beneath her. She falls on her side, and Toshi walks over slowly. "Now, make up your mind." Toshi asks gently, cradling the wounded girl in his arms.

His accomplice watches from the shadows, ready to leap in and join the battle if Ringo makes the wrong decision.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**AN: Hey, it's me, Slush. I know I said a few days, but several things came up. My brother's fish, who's been a family member for a great many years has passed away from swim bladder disease and it's upset all of us a great deal. Secondly, my grandfather has had stones in his gall bladder so he's going to have surgery to remove his gall bladder altogether, and since it's Christmas season, the whole family has been a bit worried and stressed.**

**Anyway, my grandfather should be fine (he just won't be able to eat cheese anymore, which really sucks.) and I'm sure that I will be able to update everything on time. Anyway, here is the long awaited sixteenth chapter of Ashes of the Apple Tree.**

**Also, I've extended some chapters so feel free to go back and read them, and I've introduced Stephan formally. Yaaaay ~**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Ringo took another shuddered breath. She could feel the strength fading from her, the blood that seeped from her body. Toshi stared down at her, waiting for her answer. She can't subject Ayame to be killed but she can't let Toshi force her to keep quiet either. Ringo glanced at the doors of the abattoir. Where the hell is Mello? Ringo chews on her lip, trying to think of her answer.

"I'll agree to your condition. Just let Ayame go, unharmed. I'll make her agree to not say a word." Ringo finally answers, her voice sounds so distant. Ayame is lying on the floor not far from them, unconscious. Toshi had pinched her, maybe he got a nerve cluster. Ringo has heard about that, apparently some acupuncturists can do that.

"Good. You better keep to your word, because both your lives depend on it." Toshi replies tersely. He gently rolls back her shirt. He's going to cauterize and then stitch up her stab wound. "Bring the medical kit, Stephan. Heat up the instrument." Toshi calls to his brother in Russian, his native language.

"Do it yourself, _baby _brother." Stephan replies dryly, his grey eyes rolling in his head. Toshi narrows his eyes. He hates being the kid in the family.

"No, you get it, or I'll kill you. I need to plug the wound." Toshi snarls aggressively, his blue eyes flash. "If she bleeds to death because of your indolence, I will come after you and kill you personally." Toshi hisses in a threatening manner, his hand on the handle of his knife. Toshi may be younger, but he is the dominant of the pair.

Stephan moans loudly in protest, and slips away. He returns with a metal box with the red cross stamped on the front. He set it gently beside his brother, who he can sense there is rage ebbing off him in waves. His brother slips on his leather skintight gloves, preparing to cauterize the wound. They can't risk taking the girl to the hospital in this situation. Stephan is asking himself why his brother is even sparing her.

Stephan lights the match. Stephan gently heats a metal instrument. It's like a spatula only it's smaller, lighter and thinner. It's similar to a scalpel. He passes it to his brother once it's hot enough. "I'll restrain her." Stephan says gently, placing a thick metal rod in the girl's mouth.

His brother murmurs gently to the girl, and she bites down. Stephan gently restrains her shoulders, the girl is too weak to fight back. Stephan looks at the wound. Stephan peers into it, tenting his eyebrows. The muscle has been severed, he can see dark fibers. Sheesh. His brother really knew how to hurt people.

Ringo lies still, the two are speaking in a tongue that's entirely unfamiliar to her. She caught one word. Stephan. A name. Ringo can smell burning metal, and the strong smell of alcohol and antiseptic. Toshi's eyes apologize in silence. "UNGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ringo's muffled groan of pain. Ringo's eyes skewed shut, and her jaw clenched down hard on the metal rod. Toshi suppresses the urge to gag. The stench and sound of searing flesh and boiling blood surrounds him. Toshi prepares to do the final pass.

Ringo spits out the metal rod. Toshi holds up a scalpel, heating it under a flame. Ringo struggles to speak. "Wait. Toshi. What're doing- NGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! STOP, PLEASE, STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Ringo howled in agony, she could smell burning flesh. She grips onto Toshi's arm. Ringo's scream of agony ripped through the air. Ringo felt like someone was disemboweling her with a hot poker. Toshi winces in pain. The second pass is always the worst. Toshi's cauterized wounds before, and the pain receptors are located in the skin.

"I'm sorry. It'll be over soon." Toshi whispers gently, gently dabbing antiseptic on the places that he couldn't reach. Ringo was struggling and crying underneath Stephan's hold. Ringo writhes in agony, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It burns, it buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurns!" Ringo pleaded loudly, staring in horror into Toshi's eyes. Toshi shakes his head gently, apologizing. He knew he pain. Cauterization felt like somebody was cutting you apart with a sword fresh out of the furnace.

"Sorry, Ringo, it had to be done. You can't get an infection." Toshi says calmly. Toshi cleaned the wound he inflicted and began wrapping bandages around her stomach. "There. All done." Toshi says 's eyes were closed, her breathing was laborious and ragged. Ringo was choking with whimpers of pain.

Then, the abattoir doors burst open. A blond guy stalked in, toting two handguns that spoke for themselves. Toshi cursed under his breath. He reached for the needle in his back pocket. It was filled with liquid cocaine - he planned to jab Ringo with it, in case things got bad. Cocaine can induce temporary cardiac arrest and then the heart will start up again. In case it doesn't, he has adrenaline.

"Dmitri, we have to go. Now." Stephan murmured forcefully, trying to avoid glancing at the blond. He hadn't seen them... yet. Toshi glared at his brother. He had told him to not say his real name around Ringo, she was Kira after all. Toshi fixes his gaze on Ringo. She glances towards the door, setting her sights on Mello. Shit. Toshi slaps a hand over her mouth and jabs her through the breast bone. Ringo's eyes widen and then her head falls back. That was too quick. He checks her pulse. It's growing faint. Not good.

Stephan didn't wait for his brother's answer. He grabs his brother by the nape of his neck, dragging him away to the far corner of the abattoir. Dmitri flails and struggles, trying to get back to Ringo. Oh gods. This is really bad. If they think she'd dead, it'll become a huge mess. Stephan drags him to the back door, pushing it open and pulling his brother through.

Dmitri turns to face the door, reaching back to the door. Dmitri cringed as Stephan pulled him towards his car. "Ringo, I'm so sorry." Dmitri mumbles softly, he disappears from sight behind tinted windows. Dmitri's back arched in pain. Blood spilled from his shoulder.

Sephan ignited the car, backing out the car. He glanced back at his brother. Shit. Dmitri was in agony, that shoulder wound was a lot worse than either of them thought. "Guh!" Dmitri grunted, the car jolted. Stephan couldn't take Dmitri back to his house or the hospital. Stephan turned his head back and started driving. He fixed his gaze to Dmitri in the rearview window. His little brother could die in the back seat.

"Damn." Stephan whisper-shouted, his grey eyes fixing themselves back to the road. Stephan forced his foot down on the acclerator. He had to hurry. Maybe Alexei could help them now.

* * *

><p>Mello walked warily through the abandoned abattoir, his gaze flicks from corner to corner. This warehouse reeks of blood. Mello wrinkles his nose, trying not to lose his breakfast. He then sees a shape in the darkness, sprawled unconscious on the concrete - Ayame. He rushes over to her, kneeling beside her. He brushes a bang of hair aside and presses two fingers to her carotoid artery, checking for her pulse. He sighs in relief. It's strong and regular, she's alive.<p>

"Matt! Get in here!" Mello demanded, standing up and looking for any sign of Ringo. Matt walks in slowly, he has a gun of his own. They know how they're dealing with. This Toshi guy and who knows if he has an accomplice. Matt goes over to Ayame, gently waking her up. Ayame stirs, blinking sleepily. Then she wakes up with a bolt. Matt moves away quickly before Ayame can bowl him over.

"Ringo!" Ayame calls out frantically, running ahead into the shadows. Mello and Matt run after her and find her frozen still. Ringo is lying perfectly still six feet away from where Ayame stands. Mello walks slowly over to her and crouches beside her. She's not breathing.

Mello then briefly presses two fingers to her wrist, trying to detect a pulse. Nothing. "Oh my god... Is she...?" Ayame stammers in a shocked voice, covering her mouth with her hand. Her other hand was swollen and bruised, drifting at her side. Matt gently took it, and examined it. It was broken.

Mello nods slightly, getting up onto his feet. Ayame's eyes widen with shock. She gasps slightly for air, and then she bursts into tears. Ayame chokes with sobs. She looks like she's going to collapse from shock. Mello notices Ringo's open eyes, they look so blank. That bastard. Mello kneels down, and then closes them. Ayame weeps quietly behind him, kneeling onto the floor and heaving with sobs.

Matt sits down beside her, a comforting arm around her shoulder. Ayame covers her entire face with one hand, tears dripping through the spaces between her fingers. Mello then sees an empty hypodermic needle beside Ringo's body. The glass is shattered on the floor. So, this needle killed her? Mello sighed gently, and he sweeps up the fragments into a cloth. He places it into his jacket pocket. He glances down at the dull brown liquid, cursing it silently.

Mello turned away from Ringo. God. He couldn't bring himself to say this aloud: that loud, demented and a girl with a fiery temper and a dreaful glare that spoke for itself. They both annoyed eachother to no end, but Mello simply couldn't deny it. Ringo was unlike any girl he'd ever known.

* * *

><p>The three stood around the vacant grave, staring down into the turned earth. There was a makeshift coffin six feet under the earth, Ringo's coffin. Matt had taken Ayame to the doctor to cast her broken hand while Mello found Ringo a coffin. Ayame asked the others not to call the cops. Ayame knew that Toshi would come back, that and the fact that the police wouldn't believe anything. They all stood in silence, paying their respects in silence.<p>

Ayame dropped her shovel and kneeled in front of the grave. She gently placed her unbroken hand on the earth, and smiled sadly. "Ringo, I'll take care of everything. Just wait. I'll come and visit you at Purgatory, promise." Ayame murmured softly, tears begin slipping down her cheeks. A raindrop lands on her shoulder. The rain starts off light, and in a gentle spit. Then it's a heavy downpour. Ayame is soaked in less than a minute.

Her wet hair sticks to her skin, and rain drips onto her face. She feels a hand on her shoulder. It's Matt. "C'mon Ayame. You're soaked." Matt says smoothly, the googles obscure his eyes. Ayame nods reluctantly and gets up shakily. Ayame stumbles ahead in the rain, her house is too far away. She's have to go to Ringo's, which is only five minutes away tops. It is going to be awkward staying in the house of your dead friend.

Ayame shoved her hands in her hoodie pockets, walking ahead of the other two in the rain. Ayame walked up the path to Ringo's house, walking through the back. Ayame unlocked the back door, warily looking for any signs of Toshi. Instead, she ran into Ryuk. Shit. Ayame squealed in fright, leaping back into the wall. Ryuk didn't even twitch - she must be hard to scare.

"Jesus, Ryuk!" Ayame squeaked, holding her broken hand over her chest. Gods. Shinigami can be so creepy. Ryuk only grinned and picked up an apple. Did he know something?

Mello and Matt came through the door, taking a seat at the table. They all sat in silence, they simply didn't know what to say.

* * *

><p>Ringo awoke in a dark place. Her first reaction was to get up. Bad mistake. Ringo cringed, clutching her bumped crown. Ringo then fumbled for a light switch of some description. The walls were literally surrounding her. Ringo's heart falls when she realizes the shape. She's in a coffin. Oh dear gods... What happened? The last thing she saw was Mello coming to her rescue, being jabbed with something... again and then, blackness. Somehow, Toshi has inexplicably acquired these horrid drugs from gods know where.<p>

Ringo knew there was no point in calling for help. Someone has clearly buried her alive. That person didn't even have the decency to bury her with at least one of her dearest possessions. Ringo groans and knocked her head against the bottom of her coffin. She's probably going to die of suffocation. Ringo hears an ominous groan. She figured it was her stomach - that was until, the top of her coffin collapsed.

Ringo pulled her legs up, it was tilting downwards, so she wasn't being crushed to death. Yet. The cold, wet earth started seeping in. Ringo pushed the coffin lid upwards, only earth was now caving in on her. Not smart. Ringo was engulfed in wet earth. Then, she noticed the softness. Ringo gasped as the earth started to envelop her. Ringo started to claw upwards, holding her breath to avoid eating dirt. Soon, her hand burst out of the ground. She scratched and clawed her way out onto the surface.

Oh, sweet air. Ringo took a gulp of air, pushing her legs out from the hole that had formed. "Oh my god, I'm alive!" Ringo gasped, clasping her hands over her heart. Yes, her hair was ruined, streaked with dirt and now rain. Ringo honestly didn't care that she was getting soaked. Ringo danced around the trees that surrounded too, laughing her head off like a psychiatric patient. Ringo really began to appreciate life a lot more.

Then, she paused. Who buried her alive in the first place? Ringo froze in place... Those_ sons of bitches._

* * *

><p>"I saw a needle... beside Ringo. There was some brownish fluid on the glass. I didn't know what it was." Ayame mumbled quietly, staring down at the table. Mello reached into his pocket and flinched.<p>

"Ow! What the fuck, what's in my pocket?" Mello curses, withdrawing his now bleeding hand. Mello carefully withdrew something from his pocket. The fragments of a broken hypodermic needle, nestled in a paper napkin. The three peered down at the object, mystified.

"What is that stuff?" Ayame poked the wet paper, glancing at the brownish fluid that leaked from the shards.

"Cocaine." Mello replied tersely, wiping his bleeding hand. "I was a mafia leader, Ayame. I know drugs when I see them." Mello says calmly, lowering his gaze to the table. "Cocaine can induce cardiac arrest." Mello says abruptly, his gaze flicked away from the table surface.

"She could still be alive?" Ayame gasped, looking at Matt. He nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Cocaine is one hell of a drug..." Matt says quietly, taking a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Mello shot him a dreadful glare. "Mello. C'mon." Matt protested, Mello's glare only intensified. Matt reluctantly put the cigarettes away, sighing miserably. That was discrimination, pure and simple.

Then suddenly, the front door bust open on its hinges. Ringo stormed in, streaked in dirt and soaked to the bone.

"What the fuck? You sons of bitches buried me alive!" Ringo yelled vehemently, her nostrils flared and her eyes were widened with sheer rage. The four people sitting at the table were stunned, ogling at the sight of Ringo. "What?" Ringo snarled, she can only see red in the moment. Before she could move to strangle any of the three, Ringo was mauled by a fierce group bear hug.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Ayame yelled, flytackling her friend to the ground. Then, Ringo was smacked roundly on the shoulder. "Don't ever scare me like that again." Ayame whispered fiercely, then she burst into ecstatic tears. Ringo had never been hugged harder in her entire life.

"You idiot." Mello sighed in irritation. Mello then smiled genuinely, rolling his eyes at her theatrical entrance.

"How are you still alive? You didn't get adrenaline." Matt asked absentmindedly, taking out some Pocky from Ringo's larder. Ringo was too occupied with Ayame choking the life out of her with that hug.

"I go by the gamer's code. You only live twice. If you lose both lives, you go back to your last save point." Ringo says coolly, a all-knowing grin on her face. "And I guess my heart decided to pull itself out of that stunt." Ringo chuckles, getting up slowly. Ayame gets off her, pulling Ringo to her feet.

"Well, whatever happened, it's great you're alive." Ayame says, sighing in relief. The other two nod with agreement. Ringo smiles. Ringo has never felt so acknowledged.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, it's midnight, and I've finished this chapter. Hooray! Now, I'm going to bed, and the Serenade of Winter chapter will be in tomorrow. That's a promise.<strong>

**So, stay tuned for the Halloween and Christmas specials which I plan to post up by next week!**  
><strong>Goodnight and an early Merry Christmas to you all, Slushy ~<strong>


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**AN: Hi, I'm here with the seventeenth chapter. I'm sorry it took so long T~T'  
>Anyway, I shall respond to the reviews I've gotten.<strong>

**Megan - Yes, Stephan is such a grump. My little brother and I share such a relationship and me and my older sister xD**  
><strong>Bahahahaha, when I was writing that coffin scene, I had Carrie in mind. Also, I had just watched Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill II. Quentin Taratino is one of my favorite directors. Hehe. Thank you Megan x<strong>  
><strong>Yeah, my brother has managed to recover from that nasty shock. My brother is amazingly resilient and it's one of his admirable qualities.<br>My grandfather seems to be fine, he's very stubborn about the fact he's not allowed to eat cheese, so he's fine. xD**  
><strong>And, yeah, Christmas and New Year went smoothly! I've made, like, twenty New Year's resolutions, and I managed to stay awake until midnight this year. I get the feeling with exams, I had my own earlier this year and they left me with no time to spare. And more or less, they brutally murdered my braincells. I have another three years of exams to endure, including this year xD<strong>

**Anyway, my dear readers, here is the seventeenth chapter. I'm beginning to wrap this up to the long-awaited conclusion. Ngh, I had to edit some of the last chapter with Ringo's mom appearing out because it clashed with the idea for this chapter. So, I fixed that. To those also reading The Serenade of Winter, you'll be pleased to hear I'm already working on the next chapter. Anyway, lire, aimer et apprécier. (Read, love and enjoy).  
><strong>

**Chapter Seventeen  
><strong>

Stephan looked down at Dmitri. Dmitri was resting now, in the back of his car. After the hellish ordeal the brothers had to go through in the back of the car, both were exhausted. Stephan had to pull over when Dmitri's shoulder wouldn't stop bleeding and fix his brother's wound himself. Stephan gently carded his fingers through Dmitri's hair, gods, Dmitri scared him so bad sometimes.

Ever since their mother was submitted to psychiatric care, Stephan was charged with looking after him. Even if Dmitri was nineteen now, Stephan would still protect him. It's what older brothers do. Stephan and Dmitri had other siblings, but they had cut themselves off and dispersed. Stephan and Dmitri stuck together and Alexei, one of their brothers observed the two from a safe distance.

Dmitri stirred, and Stephan carefully stood back. Dmitri blinked, slowly taking in his surroundings. "What happened?" Dmitri asked gently in Russian, slowly getting up. He grunted in pain, his shoulder collapsed beneath him and he fell back down. Stephan winced. He, himself knew, that getting stabbed was no picnic.

"You blacked out in the car. I pulled over and cauterized your shoulder. Gods, I've had to cauterize so many people today." Stephan replies dryly in English, an amused smile on his face. Dmitri doesn't smile. Dmitri gets up again, careful to not put any weight on his other shoulder. "I've contacted Alexei. The girl lives." Stephan says candidly in English.

Honestly, he didn't understand what Dmitri saw in her. Sure, she was pretty but she was dangerous. Secondly, she wasn't good enough for his little brother. Dmitri sighed in relief, brushing back the bangs from his eyes. Stephan smiled briefly. Stephan saw so many of their parents' looks in Dmitri. Dmitri glanced over to Stephan. "What else did he say?" Dmitri asked gently in English, still languid and exhausted from the anesthetic Stephan gave him.

"He says they'll probably be on the move soon. We'll have to eliminate the others." Stephan replies coolly. Dmitri nods in acknowledgement. "I've already got the plane tickets." Stephan says calmly, passing his brother a bottle of water. Dmitri accepts it gratefully, holding it in his strong hand. "Alexei's gone to collect your things and distract the fuzz. We'll leave tonight." Stephan concludes, glancing at Dmitri.

"I understand. I assume we're going to Miami first." Dmitri replies, taking a sip of water his brother offered. Stephan nodded in response. There's a knock on the car window. Stephan rolls it down. A pair of brown eyes met his own grey eyes. Alexei.

"I've got what you asked for. You better hurry and get out of here. The cops are looking all over for him." Alexei says calmly in Japanese. Stephan lifts a small suitcase through the window and places it beside him in the passenger seat. "Is Dmitri alright? You told me he got stabbed." Alexei asks quietly, trying to peer to the back seats.

Stephan protectively cuts across his line of vision. Neither Stephan nor Dmitri got along well with Alexei, this encounter was only calm because Stephan was here. "He's fine." Stephan says tersely, his eyes give Alexei a hostile glare. Alexei doesn't even flinch.

"Whatever. Get out of here." Alexei snaps, pointing in the direction of the airport. "I've got a plane to catch." Alexei says to himself, taking his leave. Alexei was returning to Moscow, their home town. Stephan and Dmitri didn't plan to return there themselves, they were nomadic and it would stay that way.

Stephan watches Alexei leave, and once he's sure Alexei is gone, he turns back to Dmitri. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>Ringo stares up at the ceiling. Ringo's resting on the couch, Ayame redressed her bandages for her. They were soaked and filthy and simply won't serve as a good dressing to her healing wound. Ringo groaned. It was really no picnic, she nearly got gutted by a switchblade. Sheesh. Ringo props herself up, glancing at the laptop on her lap. It was ten o'clock at night, and Ringo couldn't sleep. To pass the time, Ringo was checking her Facebook. Once she sees that there's nothing important, she sighs and shuts the lid of her laptop.<p>

"Hey, is your stomach feeling any better?" Ayame asks quietly, appearing from the hallway. Ringo nods in reply. "I was thinking... Maybe, we could ask your mom's friends about your dad." Ayame suggests, a small smile on her face. Ringo's eyes widened. The thought didn't even occur to her. The only problem with that idea was that all of her mother's friends were in America and there was no way that either of Ringo's parents would let her go.

"I can't. They're all in America. My parents would never let me go there alone, especially if I'm not allowed to drive." Ringo replied, groaning in annoyance. Ayame rolled her eyes, holding up a driving license and arching an eyebrow. "Oh my god, Ayame, you're a savior!" Ringo squealed, wriggling in the sofa.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ayame drawls, tucking away her driver's license again. "School holidays are about a week away since it's late July now. We need to find a cover of some description." Ayame says flippantly, moving to sit down on the sofa. Ringo moves her legs so she's crouching on the sofa. Ayame takes a seat, searching up concert tours on her phone.

"My mom has four friends. Regina Youniaux, she used to live in Los Angeles but she lives in New Orleans now. Cira Vasquez lives in Miami. Ziyi Wang lives in New York and I think Siobhan O'Connor lives Houston now." Ringo replies, trying to remember all the details. Ringo's seen they're friends with her mom on Facebook, considering that overseas calling is expensive.

"Okay, I've found a band that are touring in all of those cities." Ayame says absentmindedly, zooming in on her phone. "We can tell your parents that we'll be following their tour." Ayame says nonchalantly, noting down the details from off her phone screen.

"Ayame. My parents never going to let me go to the States, even if you're with me." Ringo replies calmly, silently cursing that once again, a brilliant plan can't be pulled off. "They have that irritating universal parent habit to be annoyingly overprotective." Ringo says in an irritated voice, groaning in exasperation.

"We can take Mello and Matt with us. We can sneak them in our suitcases so we won't have to pay for extra tickets." Ayame replies in an amused tone, Ringo cracks a smirk. "Look, go talk to your mom now. I'm sure she'll say it's okay if we give her a nudge in the right direction." Ayame reassures, passing over the house phone to Ringo. Ringo reluctantly takes the phone. Geez. This isn't going to be remotely easy.

Ringo keys in her mother's number and places the receiver to her ear. Ringo hears the burring tone and her mother answers the phone. "Hello?" Yūmi answers in a soft but slightly irritated tone.

"Hi Mom, it's me." Ringo says timidly. Did she wake her mother up? Oh gods. Yūmi is seldom reasonable about these kinds of things, and by waking her up, Ringo's lessened her chances by a huge percentage.

"Ringo, what is it? It's three in the morning over here." Yūmi replies quietly. Ringo pauses. When Yūmi is quiet like that, it means that Ringo is either going to get an earful or get grounded for a year.

"Mom, school holidays are looming ahead. And, I was wondering if I could go on a concert tour?" Ringo babbles quickly, it's best to stop thinking about it and say it. Yūmi is silent on the other line. Ringo pauses before speaking. "Mom?" Ringo asks quietly, picking at a loose thread on her sweater apprehensively. This isn't going as planned.

"Where is the concert?" Yūmi asks finally. Yūmi gets up from her bed, brushing her hair from her face. Frankly, receiving a phone call from her daughter out of the blue was strange. It was a bit more shocking that phone call woke her up four hours before Yūmi got up for work.

"It's in America." Ringo replies calmly. Ringo gently picks her laptop up off her lap, setting it on the table in front of the sofa.

"Ringo. I've already told you that I'm not comfortable with that. The answer is no." Yūmi replies in exasperation. Yūmi switched on the light by her bed and rubbed her eyes. Sheesh. The last time Yūmi was woken up so early was when her water broke seventeen years ago.

"Mom, that's not fair! I go to America three times a year to see Gran and Grandad!" Ringo protests on the line, getting up quickly from the sofa. Ringo cringes and sits back, her stomach is still hurting like hell.

"That's because either your father or I come with you." Yūmi replies calmly, ignoring her daughter's protests.

"Not always. Last year, I went all those times alone." Ringo points out, placing a hand over her stomach and exhaling sharply through her teeth. Gods, that really hurt. Ringo hissed quietly in pain, curling into a ball.

"Ringo, are you okay?" Yūmi asked solicitously. It was disconcerting to hear Ringo's pained breathing over the line.

"I'm fine, I just stubbed my toe." Ringo lies smoothly, getting up off the sofa. "Look, Mom, would you be more comfortable if I went with Ayame?" Ringo asks finally, ambling over to the kitchen. Ringo and Ayame were trying to be quiet, both Matt and Mello were tired and had gone to sleep.

"I would be, but where exactly would you stay? You have no money. I mean, you only work at McDonald's part time." Yūmi replies bluntly. Ringo groaned. Damn it. She'd forgotten that tiny fact. Well, it's not really tiny anymore. That point tore a huge hole in their whole idea.

"I was thinking I could stay with some of your college friends. The tour is going pretty much all over the place." Ringo answers nonchalantly. Phew. Good save. The last thing she'll need to wrap up is the economic problem.

"Hmh. I don't know..." Yūmi trails off hesitantly. Ringo's face falls in despair. "Okay, fine. I will give you some money to pay for your tickets, living expenses and the like. You will stay with my friends and you will keep in contact with me, okay? And you must stay with Ayame, and go home after each concert." Yūmi says finally, groaning in exasperation. Yūmi is probably going to regret doing this.

"Awesome! Thank you so much, Mom!" Ringo exclaims, punching the air in her triumph. Unfortunately, she punched a sleeping Ryuk. Ryuk bolted awake, rudely awoken by a punch in the face. He shot a venomous glare in Ringo's direction. He rubbed his cheek gingerly. Ringo was entirely oblivious to the rage of a rudely awoken shinigami. Ringo turns to Ayame and gives a silent thumbs up.

"You're welcome, I guess. I'll wire over some money." Yūmi says tersely, looking back longingly at her bed. Soon, Yūmi can go back to sleep.

"Thanks, Mom. Sleep well." Ringo replies sweetly, hanging up with a click of a button. Ringo jumps around the place, overjoyed in her victory. Ringo had finally convinced her parents or rather, parent to go to a concert!

"Woohoo! You did it!" Ayame cheered, giving Ringo a rather loud, resounding high-five. Unfortunately, that woke up everyone else in the house. "Now, for my parents... Who are just about ten times more protective than your parents..." Ayame says quietly, a slight grimace on her face.

* * *

><p>Ringo stood at the gate of the depature terminal. Mello, Matt and Ayame were going to meet her here. Mello and Matt got their own tickets, so Ringo didn't have to pay for them. It was Saturday morning. Ringo and Ayame were heading to Washington D.C, where the first concert was going to be held. Ringo checked the time on her phone. They're not due here for at least another twenty minutes.<p>

Ringo sighs impatiently, tucking her phone back in her hoodie pocket. Her mother gave them a huge amount of money, about ten grand, not including the plane ticket expenses. Ayame's parents gave Ayame some money too, but not quite that much. Ringo averted her gaze to the restaurant area. Ringo had already eaten breakfast here, she had some food at McDonald's and used her employee card to get the discount. Ringo mainly worked frying the fries and toasting the burger buns. Her manager kept her well away from the customers.

Ringo flicked her gaze back to her phone and groaned. Only a minute had passed and it felt like an hour. Mello and Matt appeared out of the crowd, they were only carrying rucksacks. Ringo's eyes widened. They only bought rucksacks for _three _weeks? Geez. They only bought about two days worth of clothes for three weeks. "Took you long enough." Ringo muttered, eyeing their rucksacks.

"Why the hell do you have so much luggage?" Mello asked, pointing at Ringo's three luggage bags. Ringo arched an eyebrow. One bag had her clothes, toiletries, shoes and makeup. One bag was her satchel, and that carried her iPod and other necessities for the flight. The other bag... Had more clothes.

"Because we're going for three weeks. I need clothes." Ringo replied sarcastically, giving Mello a look of skepticism. Unbelievable. Ryuk floated behind her idly, Sloane was perched up high near the lights on the ceiling. Ringo had given the Death Notes for Ryuk to conceal, she didn't want the security wardens pulling her over and asking what they were.

Matt stood on the opposite side of Ringo, playing what looked like Super Mario Bros. Matt itched to have a cigarette, but airport people seemed to detest those. Once, he was smoking _outside _the terminal and he was immediately told to put it out. Sheesh. On this flight, he's going to have to live for twelve hours nonstop without one. Now that, was just terrible.

Ayame and her parents walked out of the crowds of bustling people. Ayame had two luggage bags and she was using her school bag as her carry-on. Ayame's mother appeared to be fussing over her daughter, tucking away Ayame's bangs behind her ears, telling her to tuck her shirt in and reminding her about trivial things. "Mama!" Ayame bleated loudly in annoyance, protesting against the hurricane known as Hurricane Nakamura Izumo.

"Okay, dear. Just remember to take lots of photos! And bring back some souvenirs, yeah?" Izumo gabbed, placing a cap on Ayame's head. Ayame groaned. Ayame loved her mother but her mother could be a nuisance sometimes.

"Yes, Mom. Okay, Mom." Ayame says in an exasperated tone. Izumo just smiles, returning to her calm, serene psychologist demeanor. Yori Nakamura, Ayame's father just stared at the two women.

"Izumo, Ayame's going to miss her flight at this rate." Yori jokes, in response Izumo shoots a glare in her husband's direction.

"I know, husband," Izumo chided, rolling her eyes. "Okay, Meimei-chan, look after yourself, okay honey?" Izumo returned to her motherly side, pulling Ayame into a bonecrushing hug. Ayame hugged her mom back. When it was apparent Ayame couldn't breathe, Ayame gently patted her mother's shoulder. Izumo let her go, Ayame gave a silent goodbye, waving a farewell before she made her way to Ringo and the others.

"_Meimei_-chan?" Ringo says provocatively, a mocking smirk on her face. Mello stifles a laugh. Matt just smiles, unsure what to say. Ayame growled under her breath. Ayame glanced back to check her parents were gone. Once she was sure, she punched Ringo's shoulder! "Owwww!" Ringo snapped, shooting Ayame a dreadful glare.

"Don't call me that. It's bad enough my mom does it. Don't you start too." Ayame groans, picking up her bags and stalking into the baggage checkpoint. Ringo chuckles quietly to herself before she too, goes into the baggage checkpoint.


End file.
